Worst Cruise Ports

[Raxter54]

Saw an article on another cruise site that listed what they thought were the 6 worst ports that cruise lines go to :

 

1. Prince Rupert, Canada

2. Bari, Italy

3. Fort-De-France, Martinique

4. La Romana, DR

5. Cayo Levantado (Samana), DR

6. Ensenada, Mexico.

 

Has anyone had any experiences at these ports? Agree with the list? Disagree? Any port you would add to the list? Have not visited any of these myself, just curious what you all thought....

[tef43]

Agree with Martinique and Samana.

[Kwaj girl]

Santos, Brazil. Very noisy, industrial mill port for São Paulo.

[josumello]

Totally agree with Ensenada. [emoji107][emoji107][emoji107]

 

 

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[Briitini]

Port Canaveral.. having lived there.. it sucks! I would die if I had to go there on a cruise.

 

 

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Edited September 17, 2016 by Briitini

[louanne93]

totally agree with ensenada. [emoji107][emoji107][emoji107]

 

 

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^^agreed!^^

[Rosefloater]

We love Ensenada. Sure, if you want to go to the beach, then I can understand why it isn't liked. But we don't care for the beach. We like the culture, the people and the stores (restaurants, markets, casinos or stores geared towards the locals).

[OCruisers]

Probably, most of us will agree with you on Ensenada. :o

[deborahjo]

Anywhere in Jamacia

 

 

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[Kamloops50]

Saw an article on another cruise site that listed what they thought were the 6 worst ports that cruise lines go to :

 

1. Prince Rupert, Canada

2. Bari, Italy

3. Fort-De-France, Martinique

4. La Romana, DR

5. Cayo Levantado (Samana), DR

6. Ensenada, Mexico.

 

Has anyone had any experiences at these ports? Agree with the list? Disagree? Any port you would add to the list? Have not visited any of these myself, just curious what you all thought....

 

Disagree with Prince Rupert . I would also add Cartagena Columbia , Aruba , Colon ,Punteranas and a few others in Central America.

[rguy123]

Jamacia. Bit of a dangerous dump full of drug dealers.

 

 

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[RHilla619]

Freeport is the "worst" one I've been too, since it is an industrial port and your vacationing alongside shipping containers. Not very relaxing, however I'll take the Caribbean weather there over a Canadian port any day lol.

[OCruisers]

We actually like Port de France, Martinique.

Lots depends on what you do there. :)

[Eileenfa1]

Dominic republic- been there twice . Bahamas, and progreso. Didn't care for any of these ports.

 

 

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[easyboy]

Jamaica.

[tgirl25]

I didn't like Galveston as a embarkation port, also did not care for St Martin. Do not care for Nassau either as a least favorite port. Did not get off the ship at Prince Rupert because I was tired.

[DebJ14]

We actually like Fort de France, Martinique and Ensenada. The blowhole is a good place to go in Ensenada or visit some of the vineyards. Also, lots of great hole in the wall places to eat in Ensenada with great food.

 

In Martinique the beaches are great and we enjoyed the outdoor cafes and the shopping.

 

We had a horrible experience in St. Lucia - it reminded us way too much of Jamaica. We were chased down the street by vendors because we didn't buy their junk.

Our least favorite ports are Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.

[vamartha]

Of that particular list, LaRomana is the only one I've been to and I actually had a fantastic time that particular day! (Dreams Resort is a heavenly day, a bit on the $$ side for transportation, but we were aware of that before we went)

 

I've visited about 20 ports in the Caribbean, none in the Bahamas. I've always chosen a cruise on purpose that does not visit the Bahamas based purely on what I've read here over the past dozen or so years.

 

The only two ports that I wouldn't prefer to visit again are Ocho Rios and Playa Del Carmen.

 

Our port in Playa Del Carmen was a gravel pit. No, really. An actual gravel pit. (I am pretty sure it was the "overflow" port a few miles north of the actual town of Playa Del Carmen and not the normal port area) It was my first port ever on a cruise and I was slightly less than impressed and almost perplexed, but what did I know being the first cruise/port? A trip to Xcaret was a marvelous experience and sort of made up for the gravel pit.

 

And if you've ever been to Ocho Rios, then I probably don't have to explain my desire to not return. :D Dunn's River Falls is spectacular, but I've been there and done that and the pushiness of the locals doesn't balance the scale out. I've since been to Montego Bay and I can't say it was quite the same experience, I'd return there.

 

And on the other spectrum, my must do/repeat/fantastic ports have been Aruba, Curacao, Tortola and Grand Cayman.

[Hstergo]

Belize ... The port looks like an old foreign prison movie because of the barbed wire and steel gate. Once they open that gate to let you out then you realize why they have a big steel gate and barbed wire. Unless you have an excursion booked don't even bother getting off the ship.

[frenchcanrican]

Jamaica, Bahamas, Harwich(UK), Icy Straight, and Cozumel.

 

 

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[DebJ14]

Of that particular list, LaRomana is the only one I've been to and I actually had a fantastic time that particular day! (Dreams Resort is a heavenly day, a bit on the $$ side for transportation, but we were aware of that before we went)

 

I've visited about 20 ports in the Caribbean, none in the Bahamas. I've always chosen a cruise on purpose that does not visit the Bahamas based purely on what I've read here over the past dozen or so years.

 

The only two ports that I wouldn't prefer to visit again are Ocho Rios and Playa Del Carmen.

 

Our port in Playa Del Carmen was a gravel pit. No, really. An actual gravel pit. (I am pretty sure it was the "overflow" port a few miles north of the actual town of Playa Del Carmen and not the normal port area) It was my first port ever on a cruise and I was slightly less than impressed and almost perplexed, but what did I know being the first cruise/port? A trip to Xcaret was a marvelous experience and sort of made up for the gravel pit.

 

And if you've ever been to Ocho Rios, then I probably don't have to explain my desire to not return. :D Dunn's River Falls is spectacular, but I've been there and done that and the pushiness of the locals doesn't balance the scale out. I've since been to Montego Bay and I can't say it was quite the same experience, I'd return there.

 

And on the other spectrum, my must do/repeat/fantastic ports have been Aruba, Curacao, Tortola and Grand Cayman.

 

They don't use that "gravel pit" port at Calica for cruise ships anymore because they are too big. We loved it when our ships docked there back in the day because it was close to Xcaret, Xel Ha, and only a few minutes in a taxi from Playa del Carmen. Much better for visiting the sites on the mainland than having to take the ferry over from Cozumel.

 

I loved it when the ships stayed at Calica late into the night so that you could go to the fantastic nighttime show at Xcaret. We did it several times on the old NCL SEA and NCL Star out of the old Port of Houston.

 

There is not other port in that area of the mainland. Costa Maya is quite a bit further south.

 

On several cruises on the old Carnival Holiday and the Jubilee we were let off by tender very early in the morning and taken into Playa del Carmen. The ship then proceeded to Cozumel and we had to take the ferry to Cozumel in the afternoon to catch up to it. The ships also used to stay quite late into the night in Cozumel and they brought dancers aboard to do a show. Loved being able to have dinner in Cozumel, do some shopping in the evening and then go back to the ship and see the show and watch the lights of Cozumel as we sailed away sometime between 10pm and midnight.

Edited September 17, 2016 by DebJ14

[DebJ14]

Belize ... The port looks like an old foreign prison movie because of the barbed wire and steel gate. Once they open that gate to let you out then you realize why they have a big steel gate and barbed wire. Unless you have an excursion booked don't even bother getting off the ship.

 

It is pretty unsafe to walk around. We went to visit a local realtor about buying property in Belize. We were walking near the US Embassy and DH was approached by a hooker who hounded us for several blocks until a policeman chased her away. We have enjoyed the tours there to Altun Ha and the cruise down the river, and to Xuantunich and actually enjoyed really seeing the town from the trolley type of excursion. It looked much better from that vantage point than walking around. All the locals, especially school children, waved and were very friendly.

[VASOXFANN]

The worst port I've been to is Saint John, NB, Canada. It's a bunch of nothing, and its biggest claim to fame, the reversing rapids, is a gross brown river with an ugly factory behind it.

 

I have no idea why Canada and New England itineraries still stop there. They should spend more time in Halifax or go to PEI instead.

 

At least with Belize and Freeport you can take an excursion or brief taxi/bus ride to someplace decent.

Edited September 17, 2016 by VASOXFANN

[arpie05]

I loved Prince Rupert!!! We went there with NCL I like the little ports with less traffic like Sydney, Nova Scotia The lobster was great and chowder too. We got off the ship and walked half mile to Safeway and bought ginger ale and other British treats to take back onboard. Of our 4 Alaska ports. I would name it #1 because less commercialized

[wheezedr]

Let's be honest, Ensenada is not a great port. However the cruise lines use it to satisfy the PVSA when they are doing closed loop coastals or Hawaiian cruises from SF or LA. It satisfies the rules, otherwise they would have to divert even further. Note they do not stop there on cruises to Mexico as they have multiple other ports.