What Ports do you just stay on the ship

[legaljen1969]

2 hours ago, DarrenM said:

 

Well it might be, but a sense of humour is better.

That is sadly missing on some, if not most, of these boards.

[maler]

For me it's Cozumel and Ensenada, been there, done that. I'd still get off in the Caribbean but wouldn't go on any excursions.

Looking to go somewhere more exotic next time, a river cruise or on a smaller luxury ship.

[clo]

27 minutes ago, maler said:

Looking to go somewhere more exotic next time, a river cruise or on a smaller luxury ship.

How about something that's not a cruise?

[CPT Trips]

18 minutes ago, clo said:

How about something that's not a cruise?

 

Psst, you're posting on CRUISECritic.

[maler]

43 minutes ago, clo said:

How about something that's not a cruise?

 

I've been to a Club Med (adults only) and enjoyed that but no longer see many unless you go to some orgy type place. The club I went to is no longer open.

I've gone and stayed at a resort in Hawaii, very nice

But the new wife loved the cruise so much, we'll probably look for the river cruise or luxury type

[clo]

1 minute ago, maler said:

 

I've been to a Club Med (adults only) and enjoyed that but no longer see many unless you go to some orgy type place. The club I went to is no longer open.

I've gone and stayed at a resort in Hawaii, very nice

But the new wife loved the cruise so much, we'll probably look for the river cruise or luxury type

Oh, I was thinking along the lines of fly in someplace, rent a car and explore a country or part of a country

[sattva]

We never get off to go to Rome.  We know the city pretty well from 50 years of visits, and it's much too huge and rich in sights for a one-day stop.  We've been to Tarquinia and Orvieto from Civitavecchia but now just stay on the ship.

[1980dory]

2 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

Psst, you're posting on CRUISECritic.

HMMMM.

Isn't her comment an indirect CRITICism of CRUISing?  That would be the epitome of being a cruise critic.

And thus, quite appropriate.

[George C]

2 hours ago, maler said:

 

I've been to a Club Med (adults only) and enjoyed that but no longer see many unless you go to some orgy type place. The club I went to is no longer open.

I've gone and stayed at a resort in Hawaii, very nice

But the new wife loved the cruise so much, we'll probably look for the river cruise or luxury type

We really like sandals resorts which are high end , totally all inclusive, no tipping allowed , lots of restaurants all way better than mdr some as good as specialty all at no extra cost. Adults only. Swim up bars. They do have limited entertainment. 

[clo]

4 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

Psst, you're posting on CRUISECritic.

He's looking for something exotic.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

Hello.  OP here.  Great posts and conversations of opinions which quite honestly is catching me by surprise .

 

First if all regarding the Caribbean islands just how same and different people think about the ports.  Although many people share negative thoughts on the Bahamas and Jamaica ports, there are several that we felt are nice stops that people dislike (Cozumel, St Thomas, etc)

 

Second is a shocking view of some European ports that many of us Americans dream of visiting that some people dislike as they’ve been there many times.

 

Keep the posts coming !!!

[evandbob]

I dislike the cruise made ports like Amber Cove, or the immediate port manufactured parks like Mahogany Bay or Costa Maya.

I don't frequent fast food joints or chain bars like Senor Frogs or Margaritaville.

 

I prefer a more authentic experience eating in a local restaurant and getting out in the countryside away from the port enclosed shopping mall.

[mtwingcpa]

Ensenada and Victoria, BC. (the two obligatory "near foreign ports" for west coast cruises).  

[Heidi13]

On 7/25/2019 at 11:41 AM, mnocket said:

You're probably right, but sure wish cruise lines would develop some new ports of call.  

The world has thousands of ports available, but a huge percentage of new cruisers, especially in the US want R/T to the Caribbean.

 

If you want to see new ports you have to fly. Having spent many years at sea, I have been to hundreds of ports, but on our next cruise 29 of the 53 ports are new.

 

To see a greater variety of ports you may also want to consider smaller, more luxury cruises, as the smaller ships can enter ports not accessible to mega ships.

[Heidi13]

On 7/25/2019 at 9:50 PM, ldubs said:

 

Difference between mostly and exclusively, I guess.    

 

Anyway, not directed at you specifically, but I'm not following why everyone is ganging up on ExtraKim's travel list.  Seems extensive to me.  And, as we all know one of the downsides to cruses is limited time at ports.  I guess that makes most of our travels superficial.  

Totally agree, saw no need to be critical of the poor chap, especially considering this is a cruise discussion forum. Most ships are only in port for a few hours, so you see an overview of the immediate area.

 

I wonder how many actually take cruises with multiple 2-day or 3-day stays in a port. Since on these cruises, along with resident historians providing port lectures you can actually get a reasonably good experience of the culture.

[DarrenM]

You have lectures on holiday?

 

I never turned up for lectures when I was at college.

 

I know. What could have been.

[Heidi13]

On 7/26/2019 at 3:45 AM, 1980dory said:

 

From the cruise line perspective, in the caribbean theres usually less distances to travel meaning less fuel burned.  More frequent ports means less passengers on board and less expenses for food, entertainment and fuel while 'parked'. 

Yes, less distance means less fuel burn, but the greatest benefit of shorter distances between ports is the ability to slow steam. Reducing the speed provides the greatest fuel economy. It is possible to steam a longer distance at slow speed than shorter distance at full speed.

 

Costs in port are not significantly reduced by savings on food, as the daily cost per pax is fairly low, the entertainers get paid regardless and even in port the fuel costs are significant. You have additional fuel burn for docking & departure (use of thrusters, higher power settings, etc) and if not operating in an Emissions Control Area (ECA), changing to more expensive low sulphur diesel. Except in a few ports, the ship continues burning fuel for the hotel load, A/C, etc. Basically, the fuel costs may be higher for a port visit than slow steaming outside an ECA on heavy fuel.

 

You also add in the considerable costs for pilot services, tugs, stevedores, dock charges, port agents and the multitude of taxes and charges levied on the ships.

 

These additional costs are offset by the considerable mark-up on shore-ex and the plethora of other income generated from local vendors

[1980dory]

27 minutes ago, DarrenM said:

You have lectures on holiday?

 

I never turned up for lectures when I was at college.

 

I know. What could have been.

I'm curious.  Did you graduate sans lectures?

[cruisemom42]

On 7/25/2019 at 12:02 PM, Extra Kim said:

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. 

 

Your opinions are your own, and that's fair enough. But I think it's also fair to suggest you should perhaps preface your opinions by some comment indicating you realize they are a bit iconoclastic.

 

Italy has beautiful small towns and villages (well represented on any Top 25 or top 50 list of the most beautiful small towns), excellent food and wine, extensive ancient ruins, more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other country, about 60% of the world's designated art treasures, gorgeous hand-made items (leather, ceramics, jewelry, clothing) if you are a shopper, and yes, beaches.

 

I hesitate to write off an entire country based on visiting only a small sampling of places, unless it is a very small island -- which Italy is not. (In fact Sicily alone is more than 2.5 times the size of Jamaica....)

 

I spend a fair amount of time traveling in Europe and it's fair to say that I've run across a great many Europeans who agree with me that Italy is wonderful -- it's not simply a "grass is greener across the pond" thing.

[clo]

11 hours ago, evandbob said:

I don't frequent fast food joints or chain bars like Senor Frogs or Margaritaville.

 

I prefer a more authentic experience eating in a local restaurant and getting out in the countryside away from the port enclosed shopping mall.

This, this, this and this.

[sverigecruiser]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

I spend a fair amount of time traveling in Europe and it's fair to say that I've run across a great many Europeans who agree with me that Italy is wonderful -- it's not simply a "grass is greener across the pond" thing.

 

It's not just "grass is greener across the pond" but most people I know should defenitely prefer to visit Jamaica or Bahamas instead of Italy.  

 

I can fly go Rome and get a few nights at a decent hotel for $400 so a portday in Italy really isn't very special for me.

 

I agree with you that Italy is great in many ways but a portday there is nothing for me and since this is a cruiseforum and OPs question was about staying on the ship that's what counts. 

 

If the thread was about embarkation I should say that a few days in Rome before the cruise is not a bad choice, even if I personally prefer to embark in Barcelona.  

[Extra Kim]

23 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

1. Your opinions are your own, and that's fair enough. But I think it's also fair to suggest you should perhaps preface your opinions by some comment indicating you realize they are a bit iconoclastic.

 

2. Italy has beautiful small towns and villages (well represented on any Top 25 or top 50 list of the most beautiful small towns), excellent food and wine, extensive ancient ruins, more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other country, about 60% of the world's designated art treasures, gorgeous hand-made items (leather, ceramics, jewelry, clothing) if you are a shopper, and yes, beaches.

 

3. I hesitate to write off an entire country based on visiting only a small sampling of places, unless it is a very small island -- which Italy is not. (In fact Sicily alone is more than 2.5 times the size of Jamaica....)

 

4. I spend a fair amount of time traveling in Europe and it's fair to say that I've run across a great many Europeans who agree with me that Italy is wonderful -- it's not simply a "grass is greener across the pond" thing.

1. Yes they are, and still in a way you are telling me that they are wrong.

2. Did I say that Italy is ugly? No I did not, I said that I don't like the atomsphere/feeling/vibe that I have experienced the three times I have been there. It's rushed, stressful and noisy, in my opinion. It might be a Swedish thing, my former girlfriends parents are from Vietnam and her mom said: "- One thing that I don't like with Swedes are that you are only loud when you are angry, in Vietnam we speak loudly all the time, when we are happy, angry or just to be heard, it doesn't matter." Well my guess is that she would love Italy and the Italians. 😉 

This is what I thought that I would see when I got to Colosseum in Rome:

Not this:

Then add 50 tourist buses and thousands of people everywhere, it kind of take away the "Wow factor".

 

3. Well I have been to several Italian CRUISE PORTS (and their destination cities like Rome, Pisa and Florence), and that's what we are talking about in the thread, and I don't feel that I need to go back. Have I seen beautiful things in Italy? For sure! Could I find fantastic places in Italy? My guess would be yes but I don't feel the need to go looking for them. Why would I? I have a limited spare time (normaly five weeks every year plus some days here and there) and a limited (maybe not small, but still limited) budget to use on my holidays. Why would I pick a country where I have been three times and didn't enjoy myself? I rather try something new or something that I know that I will enjoy.

4. Sure a lot of people love Italy, I have friends that have been several times to the Garda lake and love it. I have talked to several people that swear that Jamaica is the most fantastic place on earth. My wife and I have had fantastic days on the east coast of Cozumel, and some people would never get of the ship in Cozumel... People are different and like different things.

 

[cruisemom42]

17 hours ago, Extra Kim said:

 

Well I have been to several Italian CRUISE PORTS (and their destination cities like Rome, Pisa and Florence), and that's what we are talking about in the thread, and I don't feel that I need to go back. 

 

That's fine. If you want to limit the discussion to cruise ports, then specify those cruise ports. Don't say "Italy". You haven't been to more than 0.003% of Italy.

 

BTW, regarding your view of the Colosseum, I had a similar experience at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I thought I'd show up and it would just be me, the temple, the jungle and the rising sun. Wrong; tourism is everywhere. I, however, would expect to find it in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world....

Edited July 29, 2019 by cruisemom42

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

That's fine. If you want to limit the discussion to cruise ports, then specify those cruise ports. Don't say "Italy". You haven't been to more than 0.003% of Italy.

 

BTW, regarding your view of the Colosseum, I had a similar experience at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I thought I'd show up and it would just be me, the temple, the jungle and the rising sun. Wrong; tourism is everywhere. I, however, would expect to find it in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world....

And I've had similar experience seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. That is one of the unfortunate things when trying to see something very popular.

 

But, I would not cross off Paris, France as a place to visit.

[Extra Kim]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

That's fine. If you want to limit the discussion to cruise ports, then specify those cruise ports. Don't say "Italy". You haven't been to more than 0.003% of Italy.

 

BTW, regarding your view of the Colosseum, I had a similar experience at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I thought I'd show up and it would just be me, the temple, the jungle and the rising sun. Wrong; tourism is everywhere. I, however, would expect to find it in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world....

I have, if you read the thread you will find them. Still, the feeling have been the same in all of them. That's my biggest issue with Italy, I don't like the feeling. It doesn't matter how much I have seen, I have no desire to go back. I have a lot of other places that I WANT to see and I will choose to go to these before I spend time and money on going to Italy. 

I get that you like Italy, I don't and nothing you say is going to change that. 

 

I didn't expect Colosseum to be empty, but I didn't expect it to be surrounded by roads and heavy traffic. To me there's no soul left at Colosseum, it's only a tourist trap. 

 

I find it kind of strange how people feel the need to convince me that I must like Italy, but not Jamaica. 

Edited July 29, 2019 by Extra Kim