What Ports do you just stay on the ship

[legaljen1969]

35 minutes ago, clo said:

I'm curious why you go to the same ports over and over again if you're not interested in them.  Have you been everywhere you've ever wanted to go?

While I cannot speak for Warm Breezes,   the reason we go to the same ports over and over again is that we enjoy cruising and as some others have said, sometimes the ship is the destination.  We are going on a cruise in December with my parents to celebrate my 50th and my father's 80th birthday. It wouldn't matter where we went particularly, but this is a cruise about family and just spending time together.  My parents aren't wild about the itinerary but they wanted to cruise and do something special as a family and it was what we could all afford this year. 
We are big Disney fans (we haven't done DCL) but we go to WDW usually at least once a year and if not, we go every other year for at least some period of time.  Sometimes we want to cruise but going to same ports involves something we can afford more easily.  We usually find something to do in each port even if it's just to step into the port area/dock area for a short walk.

 

That said, I think the only place I really feel no particular reason to get off the ship is probably Nassau.   Although if I cruise there again, I might check out an excursion to Atlantis.   It would be something different. Otherwise, I don't care for Nassau too much.

[clo]

18 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

the reason we go to the same ports over and over again is that we enjoy cruising

Do you also do non-cruise vacations?  As others have mentioned some destinations DEMAND more than a few hours and some just can't be done from a cruise.  So much world, not enough time 🙂

[DarrenM]

Most of us, me included, want to see the world, yet we ignore the multitude of magical places on our doorsteps.

 

The UK is not that large yet I reckon I have seen about 10% of it.

 

And yet we rave about other countries cities of interest.

 

For example, is Florence more beautiful than Bath, York, or even Durham in the uk?

 

You want Castles? The North east coast of England, and Scotland has 100s of them. All stunning.

 

I should work for the English tourist board

[jocap]

I stay on the ship in most Caribbean islands- much too hot for me, and so crowded, plus I've done tours there in the past. I go because OH likes to snorkel in winter, and I enjoy the days crossing the Atlantic from the UK and back again.

[Extra Kim]

There's some ports that I wouldn't mind if we missed but we normaly get of the ship in every port. Only two ports that we have stayed onboard is Marseille and Naples.

During our stop in Marseille there was an strike and our daughter was only 3.5 months old at the time, we desided to stay on the ship. This was in April 2018 and we had another cruise going there in September 2018.

 

Naples, I had been there one time before and wasn't impressed. We looked at the chaos from the ship and desided to stay onboard.

 

We more or less stayed on the ship in San Juan in May this year, it rained A LOT. Standing on the dock for 5 min made us soeked and we got back on the ship. Didn't matter much since we had been there in January.

 

I don't need to go back to:

Jamaica

Nassau

St Kitts

Antigua

Italy

[lenquixote66]

I am not physically able to do any tender ports. I will get off every port when the ship is docked regardless of how many times I have been there.

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Most of us, me included, want to see the world, yet we ignore the multitude of magical places on our doorsteps.

 

The UK is not that large yet I reckon I have seen about 10% of it.

 

And yet we rave about other countries cities of interest.

 

For example, is Florence more beautiful than Bath, York, or even Durham in the uk?  Can't answer for Durham, but as for Bath and York, Florence is more beautiful -- especially more than York. Just spent several days there. 

 

You want Castles? The North east coast of England, and Scotland has 100s of them. All stunning.  One can easily get ABC syndrome -- another bloody castle. 

 

 

Always interesting to hear your outlook. See my not-very-serious responses above. Also, re: an earlier post from you about London -- I am at heart a city rat. Most "pretty" scenery leaves me unmoved unless there is some history behind it that I'm interested in. You can keep the Amalfi Coast, but give me Rome, London, Paris, Athens, Istanbul, NYC.... not least because they are repositories of some of the world's best art and architecture and are, in a sense, living history.

 

Just returned from a week's walking along Hadrian's Wall and a bit of the Lake Country. Earlier in the year I was in the more southern parts of your fair country chasing Roman forts and villas, not to mention a stay in the Cotswolds, which are almost laughably picturesque.

 

Also have spent a month and more motoring around the island -- Wales, bits of England, Scotland, even Ireland. Along with several weeks in London. Perhaps I've seen more of your fair country than you at this point!

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

...

 

 

I don't need to go back to:

Jamaica

Nassau

St Kitts

Antigua

Italy

Wow — I can see being tired of/unimpressed by Jamaica or the other islands named - but all of Italy??? Wow!

[clo]

2 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

but all of Italy??? Wow!

That was my thought also 🙂

[Aquahound]

5 hours ago, clo said:

I'm curious why you go to the same ports over and over again if you're not interested in them.  Have you been everywhere you've ever wanted to go?

 

Speaking only for myself here.  I'm from Key West.  Frequently, DW and I booked last minute weekend cruises, often at prices that couldn't be turned down.  Almost always, they went to Nassau and a private Island.  It was 3 nights on a ship with good entertainment, good food, good drinks, no cell phones in our pockets and very little care.  We didn't care where it went or even that it was on a ship we cruised numerous times.  It was just a cheap getaway.  One year, we did 7 cruises.  

 

That said, on a longer cruise that's better planned, we are much more discriminating on the ship and itinerary.  

[cruisemom42]

7 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Wow — I can see being tired of/unimpressed by Jamaica or the other islands named - but all of Italy??? Wow!

 

4 minutes ago, clo said:

That was my thought also 🙂

 

 

 

[clo]

3 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

Speaking only for myself here

And that makes a world of sense.  Whereas we live on the Left Coast and have to fly long distances for any trip, cruise or non.  We've been to Caribbean, Alaska, have no desire for Mexico or anything else out this way.  So that drives us as your situation drives you.

[Extra Kim]

5 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Wow — I can see being tired of/unimpressed by Jamaica or the other islands named - but all of Italy??? Wow!

You can add Turkey to that list.

 

Both Turkey and Italy are for the same reason. It's noisy, stressful and rushed.

Similar to Nassau and Jamaica 😉

 

Sure there's beautiful things to see, but that's true for other places too.

[Texas Tillie]

2 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

You can add Turkey to that list.

 

Both Turkey and Italy are for the same reason. It's noisy, stressful and rushed.

Similar to Nassau and Jamaica 😉

 

Sure there's beautiful things to see, but that's true for other places too.

 

Noisy, stressful and rushed - that could be applied to New York City, Rio, Bangkok, Hong Kong, I could go on and on. But, to each his own.

[Extra Kim]

12 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Noisy, stressful and rushed - that could be applied to New York City, Rio, Bangkok, Hong Kong, I could go on and on. But, to each his own.

Sure, but I didn't say that I like those places, did I? 

 

Funny how people can dislike some places and not other places without people guestioning it. 

I don't like big cities, and I don't like small cities that feels like a rushed big city. 

One of few big cities that I do like, is Amsterdam but on the other hand it feels like a small city.

[Warm Breezes]

13 hours ago, clo said:

I'm curious why you go to the same ports over and over again if you're not interested in them.  Have you been everywhere you've ever wanted to go?

 

We don’t always cruise for the ports.  Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t.  On every vacation whether we have been to that location or not I try to have something new for us to experience.  On a cruise that may be the ship, a port, an excursion, or a new embarkation port that we can take a little land vacation to pre/post cruise.  Sometimes our vacation goal, especially on a cruise is to just relax.  On those cruises I don’t care where it goes as long as I get to relax on the water....I love an empty ship on port days.

[DarrenM]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

Always interesting to hear your outlook. See my not-very-serious responses above. Also, re: an earlier post from you about London -- I am at heart a city rat. Most "pretty" scenery leaves me unmoved unless there is some history behind it that I'm interested in. You can keep the Amalfi Coast, but give me Rome, London, Paris, Athens, Istanbul, NYC.... not least because they are repositories of some of the world's best art and architecture and are, in a sense, living history.

 

Just returned from a week's walking along Hadrian's Wall and a bit of the Lake Country. Earlier in the year I was in the more southern parts of your fair country chasing Roman forts and villas, not to mention a stay in the Cotswolds, which are almost laughably picturesque.

 

Also have spent a month and more motoring around the island -- Wales, bits of England, Scotland, even Ireland. Along with several weeks in London. Perhaps I've seen more of your fair country than you at this point!

I am agreeing with you there. You have certainly seen a lot.

 

I also tend towards the cities. Hence my love of Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff and York. Even Glasgow is worth a visit these days.

 

London is fine but once you have seen the sights, its a very tiresome place. Where ignorance flourishes.

 

What I would say though, places like Borough Market, where the terrorist attack happened, are superb places, with the street food, bars, and general atmosphere. Same with parts of Brick lane.

 

I work in the city, and I find it extremely soul destroying, at times.

[Extra Kim]

Only time I'm looking forward to go to London is when I change flights and I'm going to Florida for a cruise in the Caribbean. 😉

Edited July 25, 2019 by Extra Kim

[1980dory]

On 7/23/2019 at 8:48 PM, Aquahound said:

Nassau and anywhere in Jamaica.

Paul,

Been there.  Done that.  Never again.

Paul too

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

You can add Turkey to that list.

 

Both Turkey and Italy are for the same reason. It's noisy, stressful and rushed.

Similar to Nassau and Jamaica 😉

 

Sure there's beautiful things to see, but that's true for other places too.

There are too many peaceful, quiet, introspective options accessible from many of the ports of call to rationally write off the entire country of Italy as “...noisy, stressful and rushed.”  

[legaljen1969]

15 hours ago, clo said:

Do you also do non-cruise vacations?  As others have mentioned some destinations DEMAND more than a few hours and some just can't be done from a cruise.  So much world, not enough time 🙂

We do enjoy non-cruise vacations as well.  Yes, so much world to see. Yes some destinations demand more than a few hours. Yes some cannot be done by a cruise.   Time and money are both our biggest issues that prevent us from more extensive travels. 

Not feeling the need to justify my choices,  I am happy doing what I am doing. 

[legaljen1969]

11 hours ago, Aquahound said:

It was 3 nights on a ship with good entertainment, good food, good drinks, no cell phones in our pockets and very little care.  We didn't care where it went or even that it was on a ship we cruised numerous times.  It was just a cheap getaway.  

 

That said, on a longer cruise that's better planned, we are much more discriminating on the ship and itinerary.  

We are very much the same way.  It's a relatively inexpensive vacation with good food, good drinks, little need for cell phones and very few cares. 

 

For us, at this particular time, it's more about just getting away from the grind from time to time than about seeing the world. We just don't have the time or resources in this particular chapter of our lives.

[clo]

7 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

Turkey

Turkey is one of the most fascinating places we've been.  After going there we declared it bucket-list-worthy.

[Extra Kim]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

There are too many peaceful, quiet, introspective options accessible from many of the ports of call to rationally write off the entire country of Italy as “...noisy, stressful and rushed.”  

I guess that the same can be said about Jamaica. But three times in Italy is enough for me and my wife have the same opinon. I would take Spain, Portugal, Malta, Greece or Cyprus any day instead of Italy. 

[clo]

21 minutes ago, Extra Kim said:

But three times in Italy is enough

So did you travel within the country or just by ship?