Most and Least pushiest ports you've been to

[Extra Kim]

29 minutes ago, matymil said:

Isnt Ladadee a private area for them? Figured they'd have that kind of stuff regulated, no? 

It is. The locals can't go outside the straw market and there's only locals approved by Royal that can get into the straw market.

[tip]

48 minutes ago, matymil said:

Isnt Ladadee a private area for them? Figured they'd have that kind of stuff regulated, no? 

 

Labadee is indeed a private area.  The vendors are regulated and all of them wear badges and they are restricted to a building and its immediate area.  Nonetheless, they chase you and beg you to purchase their wares.   Other residents are lined up behind a fence begging for food and/ or money. I was told that they are given the leftovers from the barbecue provided for the ship’s passengers.     It was very sad to say the least.

[MicCanberra]

36 minutes ago, tip said:

 

Labadee is indeed a private area.  The vendors are regulated and all of them wear badges and they are restricted to a building and its immediate area.  Nonetheless, they chase you and beg you to purchase their wares.   Other residents are lined up behind a fence begging for food and/ or money. I was told that they are given the leftovers from the barbecue provided for the ship’s passengers.     It was very sad to say the least.

Sounds horrific.

[Aquahound]

5 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Sounds horrific.

 

Sure it is.  But that's the reality of the one of the world's poorest and most corrupt nations.  

[OCruisers]

6 hours ago, tip said:

 

Labadee is indeed a private area.  The vendors are regulated and all of them wear badges and they are restricted to a building and its immediate area.  Nonetheless, they chase you and beg you to purchase their wares.   Other residents are lined up behind a fence begging for food and/ or money. I was told that they are given the leftovers from the barbecue provided for the ship’s passengers.     It was very sad to say the least.

 

You described what to expect perfectly.

 

[Tapi]

Side note:

 

I’m a native Spanish speaker, and one way to get vendors off my back at Spanish speaking ports of call is to politely say something to them in Spanish (beyond “no, gracias”).

 

Well, I thought I had my system down, but on my last visit to Costa Maya, after I said something in Spanish to one vendor, he replied “Ooooh, I’ll give you a special discount, ONLY for Spanish speakers!”. Curiosity got the the best of me and he totally lured me in. Long story short, there wasn’t any “special Spanish speaker” discount. As soon as I stepped in he got into the usual high pressure sales tactics. I felt like such a cruise rookie, letting him lure me in. 😂

Edited March 17, 2019 by Tapi

[John&LaLa]

On 3/14/2019 at 4:22 PM, MicCanberra said:

Some places are over the top with people doing this sort of thing. I ignore them as they are just fiction to me.

 

Las Ramblas comes to mind

[Extra Kim]

Tell them that you are Russian, that solves a lot 😉

[MicCanberra]

No money seems to work for me.

[jocap]

On 3/17/2019 at 8:35 PM, MicCanberra said:

No money seems to work for me.

It works for me in Casablanca... no handbag, shrug of the shoulders and "Pas d'argent" …  works every time... 

[MicCanberra]

6 hours ago, jocap said:

It works for me in Casablanca... no handbag, shrug of the shoulders and "Pas d'argent" …  works every time... 

Yep, have done it many times, when you are not carrying anything it is very obvious.

[dreadpirate3]

I have never experienced someone blocking my path, mostly because I am built like an Amazon warrior and my husband is sturdy.

 

I have not seen anything in the dozens of ports we've visited that rivals lotion, cologne, or hand cream peddlers in an American mall.

 

I've been to Cozumel and had no issues, in Nassau a simple "no, thank you" works wonders, and if all else fails, you can raise your voice when saying "no". I think far too many tourists pay no attention to their surroundings and end up where they didn't intend to go.