Questions re Ports for South Africa

[rubyclaret]

First up, I apologise as this is probably the wrong thread to ask this question.

It's regarding the Ports and towns of South Africa, for the South African Intensive Voyage.

We really fancy this itinerary and intend to book it, Mrs Rubyclaret though has read some reviews, probably on FB, that some of the Ports and Towns are a bit dodgy to walk around once leaving the Ship.

We don't want to go on excursions on every stop, we like to walk round Town, perhaps trying a local bar or restaurant.

From past experience do you think it is wise to walk freely around town or is there places that are a NoNo.

We would really appreciate any advice.

 I posted this on the African Thread  but to no avail, so trying on here.

Thank you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Split off as separate thread.

[rubyclaret]

Thanks Jazzbeau.

[Trend]

We booked private tours in all the spots some were short days other longer.

I would say my husband and I would not have felt comfortable walking by ourselves.

We have travel all over the world and walked various cities but other than Cape Town we went with a guide.

[rubyclaret]

Thanks Trend for the reply. Just as we thought, we will stick with the excursions I think, rather than venturing out on our own. 

[mj_holiday]

We did Cape Town to Cape Town with another cruise line last year.  Check the location of where you are docking.  Some of ours were in industrial areas and there would be no place to walk, and I do not remember seeing taxis.  Other were in town but except for Mozambique they weren't by areas with something to see if you walked.

[Roel94]

I was on another line.but I would not walk anywhere alone. I was on private tour,ship tour or shuttle one day. 
 

Capetown is very safe And  go to Robbins Island on your own,And Table Mt wines you need a good tour.ships are not long enough.

[NicNata]

I have lived in Durban and Cape Town, and been to all the other ports in a typical SA trip. The only port I would walk off the ship would be Cape Town. Durban used to be okay but now its pretty dodgy. Most ports are too industrial so nowhere to walk to anyway.

[Haljo1935]

Parts of Cape Town are fine for walking around, but others are not. And never at night. Please be sure ypu know where Townships begin and avoid. Lovely place but not without issues.

[Host Jazzbeau]

When we were in Cape Town in May 2018 they were running out of water ['day zero' was scheduled during our stay, but got postponed thanks to conservation efforts].  I believe that drought finally ended or mitigated.  But did the government ever take measures to increase the storage capacity to prevent future problems?

 

[BTW we loved Cape Town and felt very safe in the V&A Waterfront area at all hours.]

[Haljo1935]

I was near Day Zero during an 8 week stay Jan-Feb 2017. The fires did not help.

I also felt comfortable at the V&A Waterfront; that's a very different place than just walking the streets.

Cape Town is beautiful, the people very approachable and great ambassadors of the country.

[Solent Richard]

I don't see a list of ports on your intended cruise @rubyclaret however you may find these two reviews of mine helpful even though both were done from Cunard ship visits....

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2019/09/07/one-way-to-do-cape-town/

 

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2021/04/10/one-way-to-do-port-elizabeth-south-africa/

 

 

[NicNata]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

When we were in Cape Town in May 2018 they were running out of water ['day zero' was scheduled during our stay, but got postponed thanks to conservation efforts].  I believe that drought finally ended or mitigated.  But did the government ever take measures to increase the storage capacity to prevent future problems?

 

[BTW we loved Cape Town and felt very safe in the V&A Waterfront area at all hours.]

I lived in Cape Town during the Day Zero period. We were allowed 50 litres of water per day. That is about 13 US gallons per day. If you overstepped this amount there were huge fines. To put that in context that allows you one flush of the toilet, one sink of dishes to be washed, a 10-15 second shower and some drinking water, per day. We stood in a bucket in the shower to collect the water and used that for washing clothes and sometimes a second flush of the toilet. There was no opportunity to water the garden, fill the pool, wash the car or any type of non-essential water use. It was a very tough time and gave me a whole new appreciation for the importance of water. So whilst the dams in Cape Town are now full and water supply is secured for the time being, I would suggest visitors to Cape Town be mindful of their water usage e.g. no baths and short showers.

[Roel94]

I was in Capetown in a posh hotel and no baths allowed. They had removed the stoppers on tubs. They never said anything else about water. I cut my showers but did use toilet. 

[mdeegooden]

On 6/5/2023 at 10:58 AM, rubyclaret said:

First up, I apologise as this is probably the wrong thread to ask this question.

It's regarding the Ports and towns of South Africa, for the South African Intensive Voyage.

We really fancy this itinerary and intend to book it, Mrs Rubyclaret though has read some reviews, probably on FB, that some of the Ports and Towns are a bit dodgy to walk around once leaving the Ship.

We don't want to go on excursions on every stop, we like to walk round Town, perhaps trying a local bar or restaurant.

From past experience do you think it is wise to walk freely around town or is there places that are a NoNo.

We would really appreciate any advice.

 I posted this on the African Thread  but to no avail, so trying on here.

Thank you.

DW and I sailed the Azamara Journey earlier this year on the 12 night R/T Cape Town South Africa Intensive itinerary.  Spectacular, memorable trip!  First w/ Azamara, won't be our last...  Really enjoyed the people, ship, culture as well as the sights and experiences we had in South Africa and Mozambique.  While we took ship excursions in every port of call other than Durban, we also felt comfortable to explore on our own in both Durban and Cape Town.  We rented bikes in Durban and road the Golden Mile (about 13 or so kilometers round trip), and walked extensively throughout the V&A Waterfront (and even beyond a bit) in Cape Town.  We practiced general safety awareness and never felt threatened while on our own.  As for the other ports of call, because we had booked ship excursions, we didn't have time (for the most part) to venture out on our own.  Though I would say outside of Durban, Cape Town, and Maputo, the other ports are industrial and not easy or pleasant to explore unaided.  I did write a review of the trip posted here on cruise critic.  I've attached it for reference.  Wishing you happy sailing and fun adventures! 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=696984

[rubyclaret]

Thank you Mdeegooden for taking the time to reply and in much detail

it's much appreciated. As our feedback is indicating, we think perhaps it is best to use Ship excursions whilst in Port, apart from Cape Town in the V&A district which seems quite safe to walk around.

Regards Rubyclaret.

[Haljo1935]

Hey @rubyclaret the V&A Waterfront was really pretty; I quite enjoyed my time there. Very "touristy" but The Cape Wheel (ferris wheel) at dusk was amazing - the views were stunning. Highly recommend if you will be there at that time of day.

https://secretcapetown.co.za/va-waterfronts-big-wheel/

Edited June 18, 2023 by Haljo1935
Added text

[royallondon]

3 hours ago, rubyclaret said:

Thank you Mdeegooden for taking the time to reply and in much detail

it's much appreciated. As our feedback is indicating, we think perhaps it is best to use Ship excursions whilst in Port, apart from Cape Town in the V&A district which seems quite safe to walk around.

Regards Rubyclaret.

The HOHO buses can be boarded at the entrance to the V&A.  From memory there are 4 routes covering all the main attractions from the wine lands, table mountain, Camps Bay etc.  We found them to be very safe and a great way to see the area.

 

Hope you have a great trip.

 

Regards

[Haljo1935]

I really enjoyed the HOHO in Cape Town. Ticket came with separate tickets for a harbour tour that we thoroughly enjoyed and a trip up to Signal Hill to watch the sunset - that was amazing! 

I did not buy the HOHO ticket through the ship - I got it directly from the bus at one of the stops. I felt completely comfortable and safe riding the HOHO by myself and with another person. Since you choose which stops to get off, I think I felt better when by myself knowing if I didn't "feel right" I could just stay on. BTW, I never got that feeling and would have gotten off at every stop if I'd had time.

https://wandercapetown.com/adventures/signal-hill/