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

[hoop4321]

Belize

 

We were there at Xunantunich ruins in April of 2008 and an entire army caravan followed us into the the site (on the raft ferry) and were patrolling the woods while we were there. They left when we did. We also saw guards armed with weapons outside of banks in the small towns we passed through on our 2 hour trip to the site.

 

.....having to tender as well is the final issue....it's a sea day for us!

We were just there last month on the Dream and we stayed on the ship as did quite a few others.

 

i hated that tour....the ruins were fabulous, but the ride there and back..ick! i was offering people beers to take away her microphone!

[sbcruisers]

We were in Belize last week. Booked an independent snorkeling tour online. It was the highlight of our cruise. A small boat met us at the tender pier and transported us to Caye Caulker, then to snorkeling at the barrier reef, then to a stingray area and back to Caye Caulkers for lunch. The crew - 3 native Belizians were wonderful!

I don't think any port can be judged only by the behavior of the "sales people" at the pier.

[nothomeonacruise]

I won't miss not going to Colon, Panama... very dodgy place unless you wanna see the Panama Canal (I have a canal at the end of my street and I know how to open & close the locks myself so no thanks).

 

I feel that way, too. We did go to Portobello and that was very interesting, but I really did not like Panama. We passed through extremely poor areas. At one point, my family wanted to go to a local grocery there to get some things. It was awful. We were clearly not wanted there. (judging by the looks and treatment)

We were told the canal makes billions and the money is not shared or passed down to the people. It's a very poor country. As a result, there is resentment towards outsiders.

[Gone_Kroozin]

Nassau and Panama...there's no hiding the fact that the only reason Carnival ports their is the ship's registries are in Nassau and Panama...

[shonandsuzie]

What about a west coast Mexico port. Ensenada. If I go on a cruise that goes to Ensenada again I will just stay on the ship. If you have been there once, that is enough.

I tell you what, we said the exact same thing when we were reaading the poll options. Yuck. I say, if you've been there once, you've been there once too many.

[simplelife]

I have no desire to do to Nassau or Jamaica again. If I liked the dates, ship, and the rest of the itinerary, I would still go, but would just stay on the ship for these ports

[quiltingfool]

You can have San Juan and all the people in it....been there twice. The first time I was not in pain and could negotiate our tour. When you get off the ship (at the end of the pier) there are dozens of guys wanting to take you on their tour. First guy wanted $25.00 each person...finally found a guy who would do it for $10.00 each person....

Second time in San Juan both my husband and I were in pain....he had a migriane headache and my back/hips were trouble due to arthriis and a bulging disc. We simply wanted to get to a drugstore for Advil or something.....***** tells us the drugstore is 2 blocks away, we say we can't walk it due to our pain...he says no problem for $25.00 I will take you there. We said that is too much.....he goes and talks to all the other cab drivers....they all say $25.00...

So, screw San Juan.....will NEVER drop another dime in that arm-pit of a country.

[sergeant655]

i will never return to Ocho Rios. I was there and felt uncomfortable and I was very emotionally upset when i was on a shore excursion that visted tower isle, St. Mary's Parish

[grandmallie]

we visited on the last cruise we were on and I wasnt impressed, they had one paved road, went to a beach it started to rain, went back and looked around and some of the shops right near the pier, they set up crippled children at end of the pier to make you feel sorry for them.it was very very poverty stricken.I gave my umbrella to a little girl who was following me around with her puppy, she said she could make money walking with the umbrella open for people. figured she needed it more than me.But again I wasnt impressed.

We will be going back to St Marten and St Lucia but will be taking diffrent excursions with our friends so that will be fun.:D

[Princesss]

Mo Bay !!

[dst]

I would have to say, Freeport! We just returned and if we ever ended up there again we would stay on ship.

 

Coming into port was very ugly; nothing but dirt piles and container ships. Then we went to Lucaya and that was no different than being in a small town in Florida - very disappointed

[linda_22003]

Absolutely no desire to ever go back to any place in Mexico.

 

I'm with you there. Spent a day in Cozumel on our Western Caribbean cruise and thought if that was representative of Mexico, it's all I need to see. Possibly unfair, but there are just too many places in the world I still really want to go.

[Vanessa L]

You can have San Juan and all the people in it....been there twice. The first time I was not in pain and could negotiate our tour. When you get off the ship (at the end of the pier) there are dozens of guys wanting to take you on their tour. First guy wanted $25.00 each person...finally found a guy who would do it for $10.00 each person....

Second time in San Juan both my husband and I were in pain....he had a migriane headache and my back/hips were trouble due to arthriis and a bulging disc. We simply wanted to get to a drugstore for Advil or something.....***** tells us the drugstore is 2 blocks away, we say we can't walk it due to our pain...he says no problem for $25.00 I will take you there. We said that is too much.....he goes and talks to all the other cab drivers....they all say $25.00...

So, screw San Juan.....will NEVER drop another dime in that arm-pit of a country.

 

The very first question that came to mind as I read your post was, "If you have a bulging disc, and your husband suffers from migraines, why on EARTH didn't you take medicine with you???" It seems sort of ridiculous to blame the taxi drivers for YOUR mistake in not taking medicine with you!! And lest you forget...as you say "arm-pit of a country"......Puerto Rico, and San Juan there-in, is a US TERRITORY!!! So I guess you are calling the United States an arm-pit country.

 

Mighty swell of you :rolleyes:

[viaggi_per_mare]

I feel that way, too. We did go to Portobello and that was very interesting, but I really did not like Panama. We passed through extremely poor areas. At one point, my family wanted to go to a local grocery there to get some things. It was awful. We were clearly not wanted there. (judging by the looks and treatment)

We were told the canal makes billions and the money is not shared or passed down to the people. It's a very poor country. As a result, there is resentment towards outsiders.

 

We were not impressed with Panama on the East coast/Atlantic side, the squalor was so evident. We took the "Two oceans by railroad" Carnival tour and took a train to the Pacific side. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! It was hard to believe we were still in the same country. There were marinas, waterfront properties, so different from the Atlantic side of Panama.

[peanutzmom]

WOW! It has been interesting reading everyone else's response -- one person's pit is another person's paradise!

 

Two of our favorite ports seem to have the worst reputations -- Ochos Rios and Belize. I agree with what others have said -- if you're just hanging around port, you're not really getting to see these places. We have had wonderful excursions "off the beaten paths" in both of these places and would go back again in a heartbeat.

 

Our least favorite port? Grand Caymen. We just find it....boring.... Even the excursions that we've taken there didn't WOW us. It's like a dirty, overpriced Florida tourist trap, so we might as well just stay home.

[Tapi]

You can have San Juan and all the people in it....Second time in San Juan both my husband and I were in pain....he had a migriane headache and my back/hips were trouble due to arthriis and a bulging disc.

 

Although I feel very sorry about your medical problems, I don't feel sorry that you had to pay a cab driver to go to the nearest drug store "to get some medication, as you mentioned. I know that sometimes many of us have found ourselves unprepared without proper medication away from home, but that lack of prepartion comes with a price. In this case it was a pricey cab ride. In my opinion, trying to blame the situation on the people of Puerto Rico for your problems is dumbfounding.

 

So, screw San Juan.....will NEVER drop another dime in that arm-pit of a country.

 

Puerto Rico is far from being an "armpit of of a country". In fact Puerto Rico is a United States Commonwealth (meaning that it is a part of the United States). Read up about it before writing things like this in a public forum.

 

When you get off the ship (at the end of the pier) there are dozens of guys wanting to take you on their tour. First guy wanted $25.00 each person....

 

Maybe you should've taken them up in the offer and taken a tour. Maybe you wouldn't think that it's an "armpit" anymore... :)

 

San Juan to this date has been one of our favorite, most memorable stops. We sailed on the Liberty in 2008. From the moment that the ship sailed past the impressive El Morro Fortress at the entrance of San Juan Bay, we loved it.

 

We had limited time there (ship arrived at 5pm and departed at 12am), but we did a lot. We started our visit by walking around old San Juan and doing some shopping. Although most historic places were closed because it was late, we still enjoyed seeing them from the outside. We walked up to the historic Hotel El Convento for some drinks on the outdoor terrace. After that, we walked to the South Fortaleza area where we had dinner at the Parrot Club (awesome, locally owned restaurant with the best food and decor). After that, we spent the last few hours we still had at the Sheraton Old San Juan where a local band played music near the casino.

 

I think that many times we give the thumbs down to a port because we don't take the time to truly explore it. San Juan seems to be one of them. I can't count the times I've read about how someone hated San Juan, but in their review they mentioned how they just walked to Senor Frogs (literally 2 blocks away from the pier), turned around and went back to the ship...:rolleyes:

[Tapi]

...one person's pit is another person's paradise!

 

I know. Freeport seem to get a lot of bad reviews, but secretly, I like it! :o

[Vanessa L]

Although I feel very sorry about your medical problems, I don't feel sorry that you had to pay a cab driver to go to the nearest drug store "to get some medication, as you mentioned. I know that sometimes many of us have found ourselves unprepared without proper medication away from home, but that lack of prepartion comes with a price. In this case it was a pricey cab ride. In my opinion, trying to blame the situation on the people of Puerto Rico for your problems is dumbfounding.

 

 

 

Puerto Rico is far from being an "armpit of of a country". In fact Puerto Rico is a United States Commonwealth (meaning that it is a part of the United States). Read up about it before writing things like this in a public forum.

 

 

 

Maybe you should've taken them up in the offer and taken a tour. Maybe you wouldn't think that it's an "armpit" anymore... :)

 

San Juan to this date has been one of our favorite, most memorable stops. We sailed on the Liberty in 2008. From the moment that the ship sailed past the impressive El Morro Fortress at the entrance of San Juan Bay, we loved it.

 

We had limited time there (ship arrived at 5pm and departed at 12am), but we did a lot. We started our visit by walking around old San Juan and doing some shopping. Although most historic places were closed because it was late, we still enjoyed seeing them from the outside. We walked up to the historic Hotel El Convento for some drinks on the outdoor terrace. After that, we walked to the South Fortaleza area where we had dinner at the Parrot Club (awesome, locally owned restaurant with the best food and decor). After that, we spent the last few hours we still had at the Sheraton Old San Juan where a local band played music near the casino.

 

I think that many times we give the thumbs down to a port because we don't take the time to truly explore it. San Juan seems to be one of them. I can't count the times I've read about how someone hated San Juan, but in their review they mentioned how they just walked to Senor Frogs (literally 2 blocks away from the pier), turned around and went back to the ship...:rolleyes:

 

Yeah, what I said, 2 posts up. Only longer, lol :D

[gtalum]

So, screw San Juan.....will NEVER drop another dime in that arm-pit of a country.

 

You do, of course, realize that "that arm-pit of a country" is the USA, right? ;)

 

The nerve of those evil American capitalist cab drivers trying to charge you to take you somewhere... Why, it's as if they're trying to make a living or something. Disgusting. [/sarcasm]

[cruzeluver]

You can have San Juan and all the people in it....been there twice. The first time I was not in pain and could negotiate our tour. When you get off the ship (at the end of the pier) there are dozens of guys wanting to take you on their tour. First guy wanted $25.00 each person...finally found a guy who would do it for $10.00 each person....

Second time in San Juan both my husband and I were in pain....he had a migriane headache and my back/hips were trouble due to arthriis and a bulging disc. We simply wanted to get to a drugstore for Advil or something.....***** tells us the drugstore is 2 blocks away, we say we can't walk it due to our pain...he says no problem for $25.00 I will take you there. We said that is too much.....he goes and talks to all the other cab drivers....they all say $25.00...

So, screw San Juan.....will NEVER drop another dime in that arm-pit of a country.

 

So I guess you would have liked San Juan more if they had offered you a free cab ride? Good gracious.

 

By the way, San Juan is a city, not a country, and is a US territory.

 

Some folks should not travel.:rolleyes:

[Tapi]

Yeah, what I said, 2 posts up. Only longer, lol :D

 

Great minds think alike!

[tampabrat22]

St Lucia...if I ever cruise there again I wont step foot off the ship!

 

There were the most aggressive taxi drivers/tour guides I have ever seen, we couldnt even get out of the port area. We were finally able to get through the mass of drivers blocking the exit and our driver took us to what he claimed was the nicest beach on the island, well it was a spec of sand inbetween resorts and the "free" chairs he mentioned were $15 (we're used to paying, but he said they were free so we took his word for it). The beach was loaded with locals trying to sell us everything from cheap jewlery to wood carvings, it was a constant rotation of about 20 locals and they would not take NO for an answer, they just kept on and on and would not leave our area. We were not able to relax or enjoy the beach at all, as soon as you would sit back and close your eyes, the next local would show up trying to sell their goods. Finally my cousin couldnt take it any more and got rude with one of the guys when he threatend to call the police because my cousins wife didnt buy a necklace (she had told him she would buy it, he kept changing the price so she said never mind)! So the guy and about 10 of his friends starting getting loud and trying to start a fight with the guys in our group (there was about 8 guys in our group) all because my cousins wife wouldnt buy a crappy necklace. So we packed up and left before real trouble started, we then tried to do a little shopping in the port area and found many of the store clerks to be very rude. It was just the worst experience ever:(

 

When we boarded the ship, we realized it wasnt just us. There were a bunch of people at the pursers desk filing complaints about their Carnival booked excursions and complaing about the bad experiences on the island. One couple we spoke with was on a snorkle excursion and said there were locals in boats trying to sell them stuff...while they were snorkeling!! Thats just ridiculous...anyway, it looked like a lovely place but I vow to never go back there.

[cruisinsly]

I chose Jamacia because it is so unstable there right now. With "wars" breaking out between drug lords and cruise passengers being robbed, I just dont think that Jamacia is a place I want to go right now. I have been to many of the same ports multiple times, but each time I fnd something different to do. Not completely bored yet with the itin's.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I agree with the Cruisinsly's remarks - Jamaica is not my choice right now. However, I also agree that you MUST get away from the port area in many of these places to enjoy the port fully. The port area WILL be filled with vendors and jewelry stores in most places. I like to research fully each port and find what the area is best known for. Then I pick from that what we will do. Since we have limited time on a cruise in any port I have no problem with going back to most of them. I just choose something else to do!

 

San Juan I love. There is so much there. The forts are amazing. If you haven't tried the Segway tour I would highly recommend trying it. The rainforest is beautiful, too. Next time I would like to go in the evening and go on the excursion with the "glow in the dark" sealife.:D

 

Belize - we have gone river tubing and on the river excursion to the Mayan ruins. both were great. I hear the snorkeling by the islands is some of the best around, so that is next on my list.:)

 

If you are just interested in going to Senor Frogs and shopping near the ship may I suggest you just stay on the ship? You will have a better chance of making it back on time and I promise you the shops near the ship are the exact same ones at your next port!;)

[Scootch]

I voted for San Juan....not real impressed. Nassau would be 2nd for me.

 

We have never been to HMC and Grand Turk and hopefull will make it there next year. I like the private islands. We experienced Labadee Haiti last year and it was very relaxing and beautiful.