Do you regret

[JMorris271]

In the past we have cruised  by interesting areas with much more to offer than beaches, I have found that sometimes I  regret that  I am missing  beautiful or interesting places there because they are not with reach from a port of call. I mean I  traveled this far but am limited to what I can see on the various tours or personal excursions.  I then wonder if my trip should have been one where I could enjoy such places as museums, castles, waterfalls  and so on in greater detail rather than just passing by them on the coast or not having a tour available or enough time to study and enjoy those places.

Even though the cruise is relaxing, there is still that little feeling that things were a tad lacking and therefor I made a mistake cruising in this area.

Do anyone else have such sentiments?

Edited December 20, 2018 by JMorris271
Word change

[iancal]

Yes.  It is one reason why we find ourselves doing far less cruising in retirement than we did while working.  We have more time to spend on elongated land tours.  Especially so for Europe, some SE Asia stops, and Australia.

 

I believe that it simply comes down to your personal preferences and your physical abilities.  Regret?  No, we never regret travelling, no matter what the mode.  Well....perhaps on certain airlines.  Now we combine late booking cruises with land travels as a sort of break or interlude from DIY.

Edited December 20, 2018 by iancal

[Bizmark'sMom]

I make notes to myself about places to return to for a more thorough visit.  Any cruise will give you the briefest taste of an area.  Sometimes, that brief visit is enough.  Other times, I find myself interested enough to plan a later land trip so that I can explore more fully.

 

There's never regret.  Cruising has taken me to some ports that would never have been on my radar otherwise.

[boulders]

I do. I wish I could do land stays in many of the cities that I visit for a day or two. However, I was widowed in my early 40's and left with 3 little kids. The person who I would stroll through Rome or other interesting cities with is gone. Although I'm a pretty smart person, I don't have enough bandwidth in my brain to navigate my way through a new city and wrangle 3 kids. If the only choice I had was to do land trips with 3 kids or stay home, I would stay home. Even though the kids are no longer little, I wouldn't feel safe doing a land trip with the remaining one at home unless it was an escorted tour. So, I cruise and I take escorted tours off the ship. 

[GeezerCouple]

6 minutes ago, JMorris271 said:

In the past we have cruised  by interesting areas with much more to offer than beaches, I have found that sometimes I  regret that  I am missing  beautiful or interesting places there because they are not with reach from a port of call. I mean I  traveled this far but am limited to what I can see on the various tours or personal excursions.  I then wonder if my trip should have been one where I could enjoy such places as museums, castles, waterfalls  and so on in greater detail rather than just passing by them on the coast or not having a tour available or enough time to study and enjoy those places.

Even though the cruise is relaxing, there is still that little feeling that things were a tad lacking and therefor I made a mistake cruising in this area.

Do anyone else have such sentiments?

 

We almost always use several days before and after cruises to explore cultural sites or beautiful landscapes at the start and end points of the cruise.

 

Also, we often use the cruise to "spot" places to return to, to spend more time on sightseeing, or sometimes just relaxing, for separate "land trips".

 

And there are plenty of trips we take to places we want to go/see, that have nothing to do with cruises (that is, not places we "discovered" on a cruise, etc.).

 

There's no reason travel has to be only cruises with relatively short excursions, although we do try to take advantage of those as well, depending upon our interest in the specific locale.

However I will say that as we get older, the ease of cruising has more and more appeal!

GC

[JMorris271]

I understand someone can always go back unless events prohibit doing so.

I am speaking of an immediate moment of regret. For many, this might be their one trip of a lifetime and there will be no redo.

a few years ago, we did a Norwegian Fjord cruise and had a terrible time deciding between doing the cruise or driving. We cruised but after we say the stunning views there was that hint of disappointment because we could have seen the country so much better by driving. I know we wont be back. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by JMorris271

[GeezerCouple]

2 minutes ago, JMorris271 said:

I understand someone can always go back unless events prohibit doing so.

I am speaking of an immediate moment of regret. For many, this might be their one trip of a lifetime and there will be no redo.

 

If it is "the trip of a lifetime", and with a good chance that one might not get back there, then we'd be double sure to arrange it so that we see enough - including any special points - on *that*  trip.

 

We had that a year ago, our trip to Japan.  At that time, when planning (2 years ago), we assumed that we might well not ever be back, and it was only a land trip.

We spent more than we otherwise would have, but included everything on our "important wish list" ("dream list"?).

 

Of course, we had SUCH a phenomenal time (beyond belief), that we are now trying to arrange another trip, possibly including a cruise.  But *if* we don't get back, we'll have NO regrets 

 

For some other places, it was done better via cruise, given the difficulty of getting to all of the places without a cruise.

 

GC

[wwcruisers]

Not really. I look at cruising as a way to see things and places that I never would have gone to, on my own. I absolutely love it when a cruise DOES give me an opportunity to spend more than one day in a fascinating place -- like Bermuda. And, some of the places that I have just passed by on cruise ships, might turn out to be destinations for me in the future. 🙂

[OCruisers]

No regrets.  Just so glad we've already been and seen places that were of importance to us.

Now, we are quite happy taking Caribbean cruises in the winter.  

[Cruise Junky]

Regret, No. Because I think everywhere we've been really interested in seeing more of we've gone back for a land trip. With the exception of Malta but we'll get back one day.

[iancal]

I do not understand regret.  If someone had regret they would in all probability make a change to travel mode. 

 

We have done cruises, independent travel, AI, condo, etc.  No regrets about any of them.  I am looking to try an escorted tour.  I want to go to India for two or three weeks.  DW is giving it a pass.  Will I regret doing a guided tour?  Perhaps, but it will be an experience that I otherwise would not have had.  I think that it is better to look to the future than regret the past.

[JMorris271]

44 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

If it is "the trip of a lifetime", and with a good chance that one might not get back there, then we'd be double sure to arrange it so that we see enough - including any special points - on *that*  trip.

 

We had that a year ago, our trip to Japan.  At that time, when planning (2 years ago), we assumed that we might well not ever be back, and it was only a land trip.

We spent more than we otherwise would have, but included everything on our "important wish list" ("dream list"?).

 

Of course, we had SUCH a phenomenal time (beyond belief), that we are now trying to arrange another trip, possibly including a cruise.  But *if* we don't get back, we'll have NO regrets 

 

For some other places, it was done better via cruise, given the difficulty of getting to all of the places without a cruise.

 

GC

We are doing a 2 week trip in Japan in April hopfully to see some cherry blossoms.

If I may ask, what was your itinerary and the mode of travel you selected?

[cruisemom42]

Interesting question -- I see several different ways of looking at it.

 

If -- as the OP clarified -- the regret is sort of a passing, immediate feeling 'in the moment', then I've definitely felt that. On my first visit to Istanbul -- a place I'd wanted to visit for a long time, and one I wasn't sure I'd ever get back to -- I took a full-day ship tour that promised a look at most of the top sights. The day was an exercise in frustration for many reasons, including the heavy local traffic, but worst to me was the included lunch that took twice as long as planned due to poor logistics and a number of passengers who wandered off after eating and did not return back on time.  AND the fact that we were literally locked into a rug store for a forced carpet sales pitch for nearly an hour -- then the guide coolly told us that we were running late and would only have about 15 minutes to visit Haghia Sofia.....  I was basically in tears.

 

At first my thinking was that it was a bad idea to see Istanbul from a cruise ship. But later I realized that if I had toured on my own, I would have had a MUCH more satisfactory experience of the day -- no long lunch, no carpet shop = plenty of time for Haghia Sofia.  Similar experiences (although not as upsetting) on that first Med cruise convinced me to avoid ship tours at all costs, and I follow that rule religiously. Sure, there are still times where you cannot see everything you want to see in a day, but usually I am pretty satisfied. 

 

(As a side note, I've been back to Istanbul since then on two more cruises -- one with an overnight -- and on two land visits. So another thing I've learned is not to get too upset when these things happen and to "never say never".)

 

Another type of "regret" that I've experienced is the missed opportunity:  I had a chance, back in 2010, to take a Mediterranean cruise that visited several North African ports including Libya and Algeria. At that time, Libya had only just started to allow US citizens into the country and Algeria has always been a somewhat 'iffy' destination, from the perspective of safety, stability, etc.  I decided I'd be better off waiting another year or two just to see how things went with the initial visits. Well, wouldn't you know that the so-called "Arab Spring" started in December 2010.....  Since then Algeria and especially Libya continue to be off the radar for travelers.  For those that say "Why would you visit these places?"  the answer is that they have fabulous Roman ruins.

 

In a bit of a silver-lining twist, I picked a different cruise in 2010 that had stops in Syria and Lebanon. One of the excursions off-ship was an overnight in the desert oasis city of Palmyra, which was later famously destroyed by ISIS. So I suppose that is one opportunity I didn't miss....

 

Cruising is not the be-all and end-all vacation for me. I probably take two land trips for every cruise, most years. But I do enjoy it as a different way to see the world.

[Heidi13]

We enjoying cruising and accept that short port visits do not provide an opportunity to experience new areas in any great depth. Don't have any regrets, as we identify areas we have no further interest in return visits and most important, areas we definitely want to see again.

[paul929207]

We haven't been to a beach in years. We see the sites in each port.

[mom says]

No regrets for us. We pick our cruise itineraries with care. We won't pick one where we know the majority of interesting sights would be too numerous or too far from port. Europe is a prime example. We only do land vacations in those places. For us, cruising is either to places we are content to "taste", like most of the Caribbean, or as a "scouting mission" where we can hopefully identify places we want to see by land travel in the future. Instead of "in the moment" regret at the short port visit, we feel excitement at finding a new target for our next adventure.

[K32682]

No regrets but I am very selective about cruises.  They are not my preferred mode of travel and I wouldn't take a cruise if I thought such regrets were even possible. For me to consider a cruise it must be the most sensible way to see a place otherwise I'll travel by land.      

[GUT2407]

4 hours ago, JMorris271 said:

In the past we have cruised  by interesting areas with much more to offer than beaches, I have found that sometimes I  regret that  I am missing  beautiful or interesting places there because they are not with reach from a port of call. I mean I  traveled this far but am limited to what I can see on the various tours or personal excursions.  I then wonder if my trip should have been one where I could enjoy such places as museums, castles, waterfalls  and so on in greater detail rather than just passing by them on the coast or not having a tour available or enough time to study and enjoy those places.

Even though the cruise is relaxing, there is still that little feeling that things were a tad lacking and therefor I made a mistake cruising in this area.

Do anyone else have such sentiments?

Yes and no, there is a place for cruising and for land tours.

[shipgeeks]

No regrets at all.  We know that we like being on a ship at sea more than any other "place".

[JMorris271]

Thanks for your responses but my question is not regarding one's preference to cruise over not  cruising but rather about someone that is currently on a cruise  having a fleeting moment of doubt that they may have sold themselves short by doing a cruise instead of getting up close and personal to that area or country.

Edited December 20, 2018 by JMorris271

[GeezerCouple]

3 minutes ago, JMorris271 said:

Thanks for your responses but my question is not regarding your preference to cruise or not to cruise or regretting to cruise but rather about one  having a fleeting feeling of doubt that you may have sold yourself short by cruising instead of getting up close and personal to that area or country.

 

That is what we are answering. It isn't about whether we (or others) "prefer" cruising of other modes of travel.

 

It is what you asked about... whether other share some of your feelings "...that things were a tad lacking and therefor I made a mistake cruising in this area."

 

The above descriptions are why we do *not* share those feelings, and how we've tried to structure travel so that we don't feel that way.

 

Sorry if we weren't clear about that.

 

(Indeed, we couldn't even honestly state whether we "prefer to cruise or not cruise".  The different choices of modes of travel are simply that...   Sometimes we choose one, other times we choose the other, and for many trips, we do both:  cruising *and* land travel.

 

GC

[evandbob]

1 hour ago, JMorris271 said:

Thanks for your responses but my question is not regarding one's preference to cruise over not  cruising but rather about someone that is currently on a cruise  having a fleeting moment of doubt that they may have sold themselves short by doing a cruise instead of getting up close and personal to that area or country.

Since I have used cruising as scouting trips to places I wasn't sure about re-visiting for longer land stays, no.  Fortunately I have been able to go back to many countries that seemed interesting or promising that I might not have vacationed at if I didn't get a quick overview during a cruise stop.

I could see if all someone was able to do was a cruise, but not travel afterwards, that there could indeed be regrets about not having a fuller experience that a mere port stop can give.

[cb at sea]

I cruise for a vacation....If there is something I REALLY want to see or experience, I will take a land trip there....not a short stop in any given place.

 

I think most folks consider a cruise a "vacation"....not a sight-seeing experience.  In reality, the time you have in any port is totally insufficient to explore those things that may take WEEKS to see and do!

[ldubs]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Interesting question -- I see several different ways of looking at it.

 

If -- as the OP clarified -- the regret is sort of a passing, immediate feeling 'in the moment', then I've definitely felt that. On my first visit to Istanbul -- a place I'd wanted to visit for a long time, and one I wasn't sure I'd ever get back to -- I took a full-day ship tour that promised a look at most of the top sights. The day was an exercise in frustration for many reasons, including the heavy local traffic, but worst to me was the included lunch that took twice as long as planned due to poor logistics and a number of passengers who wandered off after eating and did not return back on time.  AND the fact that we were literally locked into a rug store for a forced carpet sales pitch for nearly an hour -- then the guide coolly told us that we were running late and would only have about 15 minutes to visit Haghia Sofia.....  I was basically in tears.

 

 

 

I was thinking my answer to the OP's question was "no" until I read this.  Istanbul is a perfect example of a place where we could not see everything we wanted in a day.  We do a lot of land trips, but it is unlikely Istanbul will ever be included in one. 

 

BTW -- when the guide was leading our group into the rug store we stepped aside and told her we would meet her later.  She didn't like it & I didn't care.  

[K32682]

2 hours ago, cb at sea said:

I cruise for a vacation....If there is something I REALLY want to see or experience, I will take a land trip there....not a short stop in any given place.

 

I think most folks consider a cruise a "vacation"....not a sight-seeing experience.  In reality, the time you have in any port is totally insufficient to explore those things that may take WEEKS to see and do!

A cruise can be a sight-seeing experience if the sights you want to see are otherwise not easily accessed or in a place without the usual tourist infrastructure.  We took a cruise to Tahiti, saw many fascinating sights that would not have been practicable on our own due to distances between islands.  I'd have regrets if I went to Tahiti on a land trip and only saw Bora Bora.   

 

Sometimes a short visit is enough to satisfy your need to see a place.  I had no regrets about missing anything on my Alaska tour and have no great desire to go back.  If you want to see Easter Island a cruise is preferable because it's hard to get to and you probably don't want to spend a week there.  Two days in Reykjavik was more than enough.   

 

Conversely, if my entire exposure to northern Spain was a port stop in Bilbao I'd have felt cheated which is why a European cruise of any sort has little appeal.  A day in Walvis Bay, Namibia, would be bordering on tragic because you'd miss one of the world's most beautiful countries.  

Edited December 21, 2018 by K32682