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What Bucket List Item Failed to Live Up to Expectations?

mnocket

By mnocket,
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deelightfull

deelightfull

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We weren't in a cruise, but we were visiting Cancun.  My husband is fascinated by pre-Columbian sites.  We had a hard time at Chichen Itzen because it was so crowded, and the crowds of tourists brought out the crowds of venders.

 

On the other hand, since we weren't on an excursion we could visit Uxmal, a *slightly* smaller site that was so much better because it was significantly less crowded.

 

Ever since then we trip we joke that we are going to open the "second best" travel agency going to the second places at the second best times 🤣🤣.  We love shoulder seasons, but we can't take advantage of many of them with a school student who HATES making up school work. 🤷‍♀️

 

That said we are going on a Baltic Cruise at the end of July, not very second best, 😁. 

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Ashland

Ashland

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Arctic Circle this past July .... Many of the ports were just big cities...Geiranger & Bergen were a favorite but that's only two out of 6 ports. Glad we did this itinerary at least once but won't repeat it like we do other's. 

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Ashland

Ashland

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36 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

None! Now, there have been a few ports that happened to be on a cruise, that were not significant or were actually pretty awful -- but they weren't the reason for the cruise or trip (i.e. not on bucket list). Cartagena Columbia comes to mind!

We did Cartagena this past October during our PC and were more than pleased with the port .... what an amazing terminal with all the exotic birds/animals. We enjoyed our walking DIY around the town of the walled city..a very nice day. Sorry it didn't live up to your expectations.

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Ashland

Ashland

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On 6/18/2022 at 9:33 AM, mnocket said:

I'm a bit surprised nobody has mentioned the Blarney Stone.  I drove by the castle and didn't bother to stop.  Waiting in line just to lie on my back and kiss a rock?  Why?

Didn't visit the Stone but the gift shop there was worth it.

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donaldsc

donaldsc

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My over hyped bucket list item was my Rhone (not Rhine but Rhone) River Viking River Cruise which we did last summer.  It was not that we did not enjoy the cruise.  It was not that the service was bad.  It was not that the food was poor although I did not think that the food was great as expected and I was not happy w the menu choices on some nights were not great.  The problem is that Viking River cruises were so over hyped and everyone who had taken them said that they will be the best cruise we have ever taken.  No cruise could live up to that expectation and this cruise was less than we expected.

 

DON

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slidergirl

slidergirl

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4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

My first Caribbean USN deployment port was St. Thomas - I’d looked forward to it for a couple of months, but found it way less than hoped.  Now, after perhaps a dozen more visits, I still find it less than hoped every time —- great stay-aboard port unless going across to St. John.

Were you at the sub base???  Back in 1989 when I vacationed in St. John/St. Thomas, I ate at the Chart House "at the sub base".  Some people collect Hard Rock Cafe, I used to collect Chart House 😉

 

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slidergirl

slidergirl

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1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

My over hyped bucket list item was my Rhone (not Rhine but Rhone) River Viking River Cruise which we did last summer.  It was not that we did not enjoy the cruise.  It was not that the service was bad.  It was not that the food was poor although I did not think that the food was great as expected and I was not happy w the menu choices on some nights were not great.  The problem is that Viking River cruises were so over hyped and everyone who had taken them said that they will be the best cruise we have ever taken.  No cruise could live up to that expectation and this cruise was less than we expected.

 

DON

My Rhone Canal barge cruise this summer was just what I was looking for!  Not everyone's cup of tea, as they are very small and not "elegant".  But our food was excellent (the 11 of us had a sit-down set menu each lunch and dinner).   The canal barge was not on the river until the very end at Sete - even then a Seaborn ship took our docking spot and we ended back up the canal at Frontignam, right at the fairgrounds where they were having their Bastille Day festivities and fireworks - even better than the standard dock at Sete.  Try a barge canal sometime - slow, small and fun.

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

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47 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Were you at the sub base???  Back in 1989 when I vacationed in St. John/St. Thomas, I ate at the Chart House "at the sub base".  Some people collect Hard Rock Cafe, I used to collect Chart House 😉

 

Yes - at the Old Pier, gradually rotting away - but I must acknowledge I was happier to be there - in mid-February than at home port Norfolk. 

 

When you were there, was the "Black Witch" still moored nearby - an old schooner converted to a restaurant/night club-- you needed a water taxi to get to?

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Ashland

Ashland

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5 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Perhaps if you had visited the Stone you might have been able to expand upon your barely-mentioned visit to the gift shop

Our private tour guide got us in but the line was very long to actually access the Stone. Seeing from the base was good enough for us. 

 

Exactly what could I have expanded on about the gift shop ?

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

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1 hour ago, Ashland said:

Our private tour guide got us in but the line was very long to actually access the Stone. Seeing from the base was good enough for us. 

 

Exactly what could I have expanded on about the gift shop ?

What could you NOT have expanded upon if you HAD kissed the Stone?  

 

Are you not aware of the powers it conveys?

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Markanddonna

Markanddonna

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On 5/14/2022 at 10:37 PM, dolittle said:

Love Europe but Paris did not move me like other places in Europe . My wife was dying to see the Eiffel Tower. So glad I did it was way better than I would have thought . Got up way early still waited well worth it. 

I just don't get the hype of Paris and I was there before the Notre Dame fire.

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ontheweb Holiday Sharing Rare

ontheweb

Posted
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32 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well, it is a bit different from Cleveland - which I first saw after the Cuyahaga River fire.

Yes, Cleveland has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Paris does not. Though we still loved Paris on a land trip even though the highlight of our stay was outside of Paris, Monet's Gardens at Giverny.

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donaldsc

donaldsc

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17 hours ago, slidergirl said:

My Rhone Canal barge cruise this summer was just what I was looking for!  Not everyone's cup of tea, as they are very small and not "elegant".  But our food was excellent (the 11 of us had a sit-down set menu each lunch and dinner).   The canal barge was not on the river until the very end at Sete - even then a Seaborn ship took our docking spot and we ended back up the canal at Frontignam, right at the fairgrounds where they were having their Bastille Day festivities and fireworks - even better than the standard dock at Sete.  Try a barge canal sometime - slow, small and fun.

 

I would like to try a canal barge cruise some time. My wife is fighting me on this because of the cost.  Not that the Viking cruise was cheap.

 

DON

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crystalspin

crystalspin

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19 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

What could you NOT have expanded upon if you HAD kissed the Stone?  

Are you not aware of the powers it conveys?

My introvert husband kissed the Stone and it worked! (The course in self-hypnosis aimed at making small-talk may have helped...)

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cruisemom42 Great Review Rare

cruisemom42

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22 minutes ago, dolittle said:

 Funny you should mention Notre Dame .Love Europe and historic buildings but Notre Dame did not do much for me.

 

I loved it; have visited it several times. 

 

I especially enjoyed climbing up to the rooftop (separate ticket) and getting to see the gargoyles and the bells up close, not to mention the stupendous view. I also happened to be up there at noon when the bells ring -- definitely something I consider one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences. 

 

Once when we were there over the week between Christmas and New Years, you could go inside and see an exhibit of all kinds of creches/nativity scenes from the very humble to the fancy. Again, very interesting and something that has stayed with me.

 

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