I will never, EVER cruise again to....

[Tapi]

[quote name='linda_22003']
I don't understand why people go to the Caribbean over and over and over and over. [/QUOTE]

It's conveniently located, easily accessible from several U.S ports of embarkation.

[quote name='linda_22003']
There's the Black Sea - Istanbul, Yalta, Odessa...
There's the Baltic - Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Stockholm....
There's the Mediterranean - too many ports to list!
[/QUOTE]

All wonderful, but traveling to most of these destinations require vacation time that many either don't have or are not willing to burn all at once.

[quote name='linda_22003']Apparently, I'd really like to know! :D[/QUOTE]

I'll tell you our personal reasons why we're headed to the Caribbean yet one more time this year:

[LIST]
[*]We are traveling with an infant
[*]We didn't want to fly since we're hauling a bunch of baby gear
[*]We wanted to sail on a specific date, for 7 nights, and from a port within driving distance
[*]We're bringing the mother in law to assist us
[*]I'm paying for our travel expenses as well as hers
[*]We wanted to stick to ports that we're familiar with since it's our first time traveling with a baby.
[*]We wanted to save some of our vacation time so that we can fly to see the rest of the family for Christmas.
[/LIST]

With that said, we are planning:

[LIST]
[*]Alaska (already deposited)
[*]Eastern Mediterranean (including Egypt and Israel)
[*]Either South America or Northern Europe (haven't chosen yet)
[/LIST]

These will be done without baby or mother in law in tow....! :D

[kyrisong1]

Wow world travelers!!! I guess my main reason for cruising the carib over and over is that we usually go in Feb when it's well below zero here.
I go for the warm, clear, beautiful waters.
I guess when we retire we will do a nice long European tour, however to go by cruise ship is going to be wasted on us. I want to spend time in Greece and Italy.
My husband won't even do an alaskan cruise because he wants to spend time exploring not just cruising by, pointing and saying "oh pretty".
What floats one boat may not float a different one.
I am surprised to see Costa Rica on there too. We adored this port, and didn't see squalor at all. In fact even the poorer areas are clean and tidy.
Or maybe those are just the areas Charlie Soto took us too.
We did Zipline, banana plantation, river tour.....took all day but it was just beautiful, we'd go back here in a minute too.
Carole

[dan40]

[quote name='Vanessa L']EXACTLY!! We plan on being in Munich for Oktoberfest next year :D:D:cool:[/quote]

An Oktoberfest story for you.

I held a sales contest, the prize was a trip to Germany. Some regular old dogs won it, but a couple of youngsters won also. So we are in the tent at Oktoberfest and one of the youngsters wives comes up to me and says she can't find her husband. I'm a few liters into the fest myself and tell her he'll turn up. My wife says, "Dan, she's young, never been out of the USA before, and she is scared, GO FIND HER HUSBAND!" With that gentle hint I go searching.
Only 5000 to 10,000 people in the tent, and I'm half in the bag, how hard can it be! I end up outside the back of the tent where they dump the bodies of the over-lubed. I see a set of legs protruding from under a bush and some primal instinct tells me to look. It's him.
So I walk/carry him back past the bandstand to our table and his wife. Then the other youngsters wife tells me she can't find her husband either. I say, "That's not a problem." "Look at the stage!" "He's leading the band!"

He and a half dozen others were on stage leading the 'oompa' band!:D:D

[nomoredyess]

[quote name='cruzeluver']Within 9 hours of my house I can cruise from Charleston, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Once European cruises are regularly available form those ports, I'll go.[/quote]


The worst part of the European cruises......They go on strike all the time....We had to fly to Italy for our last cruise out of Rome....They went on strike twice between booking and sailing....Alitalia was in the middle of labor negotiations and bankruptcy....I had a great cruise, but so much stress leading up!!!LOL

[linda_22003]

[quote name='kyrisong1']My husband won't even do an alaskan cruise because he wants to spend time exploring not just cruising by, pointing and saying "oh pretty".
[/quote]

On our Alaska cruise we went on hikes, went whale watching, and rowed canoes right up to the Davidson glacier. That's not exactly just pointing and saying "oh, pretty".

[nomoredyess]

Wow world travelers!!! I guess my main reason for cruising the carib over and over is that we usually go in Feb when it's well below zero here.

I go for the warm, clear, beautiful waters.

I guess when we retire we will do a nice long European tour, however to go by cruise ship is going to be wasted on us. I want to spend time in Greece and Italy.

My husband won't even do an alaskan cruise because he wants to spend time exploring not just cruising by, pointing and saying "oh pretty".

What floats one boat may not float a different one.

I am surprised to see Costa Rica on there too. We adored this port, and didn't see squalor at all. In fact even the poorer areas are clean and tidy.

Or maybe those are just the areas Charlie Soto took us too.

We did Zipline, banana plantation, river tour.....took all day but it was just beautiful, we'd go back here in a minute too.

Carole

 

Europe was AWESOME.....Some pointers....Dont go in peak season!! May-Aug.....It was hot and there is NO personal space ANYWHERE....They rushed us thru Sistene Chapel clapping and yelling "no pictures" the whole time. If you go to Izmir, enjoy the spa specials and hang out at the pool....If you go to Naples, Capri is AWESOME!!! Maramis, Turkey=HIDDEN GEM!!!! Olympia, Greece...ehh, not much. We loved Athens, we wanted more time there and less time in Istanbul, although I got some amazing sunset pictures from the ship of the Blue Mosque

[linda_22003]

All wonderful, but traveling to most of these destinations require vacation time that many either don't have or are not willing to burn all at once.

 

 

 

You posted that under my list of trips. All of those cruises were 7 days, with just a few days or even less at either end. We're in our prime working years as well and don't have all the time we'd like to have.

 

We've never had the adventure of traveling with an infant, so you're wise to keep it to something easily handled. As the great Robert Benchley once said, there are two modes of travel: "First class, and with children."

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Just curious. What did you do there? Where did you go?

 

I was thinking the same thing Mr. Pete. Most get off the ship and walk around the port area and get back on the ship.

 

I must confess I was like this the first time, and the second time I stayed on the ship.

 

Since I discovered Cable Beach I'm always off the ship early to enjoy my day.

 

I vote for Jamaica. I went once and have to confess I'm much to timid for that place.

 

Bill

[kyrisong1]

On our Alaska cruise we went on hikes, went whale watching, and rowed canoes right up to the Davidson glacier. That's not exactly just pointing and saying "oh, pretty".

And we are discussing going on a cruise tour, but we don't want to get off for just a few hours, we want days. Therefore we will do what we feel would be good for us, as I suggest you do for you.

Cheers

[jhsieh]

I would be perfectly happy never sailing to Key West and Freeport. I am surprised at how many of you dislike Belize. I really like it there. I guess I am more enthusiatic to visit the places a lot of you are describing as slummy and less thrilled by the super touristy places and private islands. I have not yet sailed to Costa Rica or Panama but I think I would love those ports. Different strokes....

 

From the poll options, my least favorites are Nassau and Cozumel.

[Stallion]

Carnival should pay people to get off at Calica-not sure if they still go there. Its a mining pit-nothing else. Carnival should be embarrassed to even travel there.

[linda_22003]

And we are discussing going on a cruise tour, but we don't want to get off for just a few hours, we want days. Therefore we will do what we feel would be good for us, as I suggest you do for you.

Cheers

 

That's fine, of course. I just didn't want you to think that people only sat on deck and looked at the water! :p

[emelvee]

I've only duplicated one port (Cozumel) in my five cruises to date. We're stopping at Freeport next week, so that will be two time there. Neither Cozumel or Freeport excite me much (we also spent a week in Freeport a few years ago), but I don't mind going back - I just prefer other itineraries. There are still several islands I want to see in the Caribbean. The ship spends so little time at each port (with the exception of overnights) that I figure there will be things to do at any port we've visited before.

[kyrisong1]

I would be perfectly happy never sailing to Key West and Freeport. I am surprised at how many of you dislike Belize. I really like it there. I guess I am more enthusiatic to visit the places a lot of you are describing as slummy and less thrilled by the super touristy places and private islands. I have not yet sailed to Costa Rica or Panama but I think I would love those ports. Different strokes....

 

From the poll options, my least favorites are Nassau and Cozumel.

If you decide to book for Costa Rica, try googling Charlie Soto or Okey Dokey tours, his tours are awesome. Panama is dirty but the Indian village is cool and I love the cruise port at Limon. I know there are two cruise ports at Panama, and I've only cruised there with Celebrity when we were on longer cruises, but if you go into the same cruiseport the Indians have things set up there for sale you never even have to leave the port if you don't choose to.

I live in landlocked Nebraska, and so the Locks by Ferry was an awesome tour for us, but once you've seen locks <shrug> kinda boring.

Cheers and enjoy!!!

Carole

[rlloyd3]

Just curious. What did you do there? Where did you go?

We went to Atlantis and did a historical tour of the city. That's pretty much everything I would want to see there; the rest of the city looks to be a giant ghetto.

[Vanessa L]

An Oktoberfest story for you.

 

I held a sales contest, the prize was a trip to Germany. Some regular old dogs won it, but a couple of youngsters won also. So we are in the tent at Oktoberfest and one of the youngsters wives comes up to me and says she can't find her husband. I'm a few liters into the fest myself and tell her he'll turn up. My wife says, "Dan, she's young, never been out of the USA before, and she is scared, GO FIND HER HUSBAND!" With that gentle hint I go searching.

Only 5000 to 10,000 people in the tent, and I'm half in the bag, how hard can it be! I end up outside the back of the tent where they dump the bodies of the over-lubed. I see a set of legs protruding from under a bush and some primal instinct tells me to look. It's him.

So I walk/carry him back past the bandstand to our table and his wife. Then the other youngsters wife tells me she can't find her husband either. I say, "That's not a problem." "Look at the stage!" "He's leading the band!"

 

He and a half dozen others were on stage leading the 'oompa' band!:D:D

 

ROFL! Note to self...if husband goes missing, check the bushes outside the tents...if not there, check the stage. I would put neither of these things past my sweetie, LOL!

[sjn911]

My one and only Caribbean cruise was in 1992...and only visit to Mexican Riviera was Spring of 1981..so I just do not have a fair basis to vote.

 

Nassau, St Tomas, and Puerto Rico were the 3 visits and I think I may have been where Atlantis is now. I shopped and snorkled in St Thomas. Puerto Vallarta was a trip with certain snags Mom, Grandma in grief over loss of husband, Sister no. 2 and me just graduating from College and HS respectively; sis and I WERE TOO YOUNG and self-absorbed and the generational issues in the family and major heat issues at Condo that was sub-par colored that trip.

 

Everyone who cruises all the time seems to get tired of these ports..and they are no doubt different with crowds, development and many more ships visiting..make for a whole new set of considerations. Thanks for the thread. I have the Splendor and Mexican Riviera for my October Birthday at half the price I had the Emerald Princess planned for last October. I had to cancel that cuise. I'm hoping with port study, some selected excursions, and dropping some extra bucks at the spa I'll get the warm R & R cruise, a little culture of Mexico and chill time I want and save for a fancier Bermuda trip in a year or two..but I did get trip insurance!!

[Happy ks]

Actually, you're wrong about that one...if you had home based in central Italy and taken the high speed trains to either end, and every stop in-between, you'd have had LOTS more time to see and do than what you had with the cruise. If you haven't tried it, hop on over there, try the train system and let me know what you think.

 

 

But, we didn't just go to Italy, we also spent two days in Croatia and the last time I checked, trains don't go to Sicily.

 

The only experience we had on Italiean trains was disgusting, dirty, smelly and I wanted to heave. It was a commuter train, not an overnight.

 

We didn't have to spend any days traveling and checking into new hotels, unpacking and repacking every couple of days. Cruise travel was a breeze. We could not have done as much as we did in 19 days if we had done a land trip.

[sjn911]

And we are discussing going on a cruise tour, but we don't want to get off for just a few hours, we want days. Therefore we will do what we feel would be good for us, as I suggest you do for you.

Cheers

 

My Dad worked in Alaska his last "free" years and 20 some years later took a cruise/land tour with 1/2 the immediate family, 2 youngest girls, before they were completely encumbered. He was happy with that and just the cruise would not have worked. He still raves about the Halibut and Salmon an has never had anything good enough in that category to match up since. It is a dream of my extended family to do the Alaska sruise/land trip...we did Hawaii for thir 50th in a condo deal...it's a tough thing to pull off but we are all working in it.

 

My sister has a son fishing there and she is so happy to be having her first trip there with his girlfiend who taught there in a remote area later this summer. This was all new to the fisherman nephew end of May. Lucky me for future stories.

 

My dad just loved Alaska and was satisfied with the cruise/land combo visit...they were on the old N. Ansterdam on Holland America as it was best deal then for them..sounds like you guys would be most happy with some kind of combo trip..sjn..I want to do that one day too..get on a train/lodge thing..fish a little somehow..have fun planning..sjn911.:)

[Vanessa L]

But, we didn't just go to Italy, we also spent two days in Croatia and the last time I checked, trains don't go to Sicily.

 

The only experience we had on Italiean trains was disgusting, dirty, smelly and I wanted to heave. It was a commuter train, not an overnight.

 

We didn't have to spend any days traveling and checking into new hotels, unpacking and repacking every couple of days. Cruise travel was a breeze. We could not have done as much as we did in 19 days if we had done a land trip.

 

Some people like to see a little over a lot of time. I used to be that way, "I want to see it all, dammit, nevermind if I'm only 37 seconds at this 1500 year old cathedral, I saw it!!! I SAW IT!!!!!" Nope. Not the way to go for me. Now, in my mid 40s, I want to savor the city we are in, take in all that city has to offer, not just in 37 second stops and have found that the train system in Europe is the way to do it.

 

For example, last year in March we went to Germany. Home based in Frankfurt and took the train everywhere. It's only just over 2 hours to Munich on the high speed train, not to mention the uber coolness of barreling down the tracks at 175 MPH! You'd think that everything outside would be a blur, but that is not the case. We simply packed a back pack with 1 change of clothes and headed out (thus no packing and unpacking, everything was still back in the hotel in Frankfurt). Two and a half days in Munich and we got to see MUCH more of it, and at our pace, than trying to do it on a cruise tour. The next several days we went to Berlin, down to Basel, Switzerland for Carnival (now THAT was a hoot!), all over the Black Forest, and every time, back to the home base in Frankfurt.

 

I agree that, with a cruise, you see many more countries, especially those with a coast, however, speaking only for me, I have no desire to spend a mere 8 hours in any city in Europe anymore than I would try to site see any major city in the US in 8 hours. It's the Cliff Notes version of a destination vs. the War and Peace version. I vote for the latter.

[janabm81]

I choose to not go to Belize...I spent 6 months there back in 2000 and that was plenty...they do have the best snorkeling and diving I've ever done though, but I think my personal safety is worth more than seeing a few fish. :)

[kyrisong1]

My Dad worked in Alaska his last "free" years and 20 some years later took a cruise/land tour with 1/2 the immediate family, 2 youngest girls, before they were completely encumbered. He was happy with that and just the cruise would not have worked. He still raves about the Halibut and Salmon an has never had anything good enough in that category to match up since. It is a dream of my extended family to do the Alaska sruise/land trip...we did Hawaii for thir 50th in a condo deal...it's a tough thing to pull off but we are all working in it.

 

My sister has a son fishing there and she is so happy to be having her first trip there with his girlfiend who taught there in a remote area later this summer. This was all new to the fisherman nephew end of May. Lucky me for future stories.

 

My dad just loved Alaska and was satisfied with the cruise/land combo visit...they were on the old N. Ansterdam on Holland America as it was best deal then for them..sounds like you guys would be most happy with some kind of combo trip..sjn..I want to do that one day too..get on a train/lodge thing..fish a little somehow..have fun planning..sjn911.:)

Thanks for this info, we have actually been looking at HAL for the Alaskan cruise tours. We just want to be able to spend more time in this beautiful state without feeling rushed "back to the ship or be left behind" lol

We feel the same as for Europe, ok I feel the same with Europe, my husband doesn't much care to go to Europe at all. But I really want to see Greece and Italy.

But for now we are soooooooo happy to get out of the cold and do some snorkling and shopping in the Carib. We love being on island time!!!

We both have busy, demanding jobs and the Carib is just laid back as can be.

Guess I was a little offended because it felt implied that the Carribean is somehow not as good as a Med cruise, just felt condescending you know?

Prolly just me.

Cheers anyway, Carole

[chachi]

I will never again cruise to Alaska. I had a great time on my trip, I liked all of my ports, but once was enough. I realized that I would much rather be in a tropical location. No more fleece, gloves, or hats on a cruise for me. I am glad that I got to experience it once though.

[divingmedic]

I choose Freeport and Nassau. While I have never cruised there, I have been there for dive trips. Not much to see on the sights, diving was so so and the expense was horrible.

[old USN cruiser]

I can't believe Calica was only mentioned twice in this thread.

 

"Gravel Pit" indeed!!