Worst Port of Call and Why

[sleepingcat]

another vote for Salalah. On our world cruise it was an itinerary substitute because Egypt suddenly became too dangerous.  Otherwise no idea why companies do port calls there. To be fair, some people on our ship did have a good day. 

 

And we are not great fans of Gibraltar either. I m pleased to have seen it and been up the Rock, but if we are on another ship that calls there I might not bother to disembark.

[navybankerteacher]

12 hours ago, wcook said:

Honesty, it all my years I’ve never had a bad port. 

I have to ask: what ports have you called at - and how do you define “bad”?

[slidergirl]

On 4/19/2023 at 7:19 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Of course, there’s no definitive answer. It’s often all a matter of personal preferences.

 

But, AFAIAC, the embarkation port we try to avoid like the plague is Miami (and it has zip to do with the cruise itself). We just find that “there’s no there - there” (or pretty much anywhere else in South Florida). But, that is partly because our frame of reference is home on coastal California. 

I guess that, if I was trying to escape an unending winter onslaught elsewhere in the country, Miami might have some “escape appeal.” But there are just so many other desirable warm weather/beachfront (minus the stifling humidity et al.) locations worldwide that I’d rather start cruises from someplace where I can enjoy a pre/post-cruise land stay.

I'm going on a cruise to Alaska next week.  I'd rather do that after a long, hard Winter than go to Florida to take a cruise to someplace nice and warm.  

[wowzz]

11 hours ago, sleepingcat said:

And we are not great fans of Gibraltar either. I m pleased to have seen it and been up the Rock, but if we are on another ship that calls there I might not bother to disembark.

We were there on Easter Sunday. Lovely sunny day - stayed onboard by the adult pool all day.

[JimmyTheSaint]

Bermuda last October. We had to pay an exorbitant fee for some sort of travel authorisation even if we wanted to stay on the ship. The weather was miserable so we stayed within the naval dockyard, everything was horrendously expensive. Worst port we've ever had the misfortune to visit. 

[TX Cruise Girl]

I completely agree with Nassau.  I avoid cruises that go there but if I ever end up on one again I'm not getting off the ship.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, JimmyTheSaint said:

Bermuda last October. We had to pay an exorbitant fee for some sort of travel authorisation even if we wanted to stay on the ship. The weather was miserable so we stayed within the naval dockyard, everything was horrendously expensive. Worst port we've ever had the misfortune to visit. 

FWIW: a lot of folks do not understand that you don’t have to step foot on land to have “entered” a country.

[Cruisercl]

No Jamaica for us.

It was scary with vendors aggressiveness as soon as we got off the ship.

Any excursion taken we were warned about possible crime while on the excursion....not good IMHO.

YMMV.

[Cruise till you drop]

On 4/19/2023 at 11:54 AM, thinfool said:

Yeah, I'm gonna go with Nassau, too.  Boring, little to do if you're not on a paid excursion.  

I'll take Roatan, Costa Maya and/or Cartagena anytime.

Totally agree with all of them and let me add Puerto Vallarta 

[Thad409]

On 4/19/2023 at 11:30 AM, ColeThornton said:

Subic Bay in the Philippines.   Got arrested by Shore Patrol twice in one month.

 

Oh wait, you meant cruise ports.   lol          😉

USMC in the 80s, been their done that