Great Article on Overtourism - Shouldn't Cruise Lines Mix Up Their Itineraries More?

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

But, I wonder if we are the norm.  I hear cruisers talking about making sure they get back to the ship to have lunch and dinner because they've paid for those meals already.   Or, they are taking a ship or private excursion where the meal is provided.  Not the same as eating local.

 

I am pretty convinced it is a minority who eat two meals ashore per port stop as alleged by chipmaster above -- most aren't going to eat breakfast ashore and by dinner, most ships have sailed or are about to sail...

 

That said, I am one who does not tend to eat lunches ashore when cruising. Not because I rush back to the ship and not because I am "cheap" -- rather, I am usually not willing to take the time out of my sightseeing to stop for lunch and/or I am often not near a restaurant (e.g., at an archaeological site).  I love eating local and do it on land trips, but on cruises not so much. So I think it's quite true to say that between those who just skip a meal to maximize their time ashore, those who want to eat on board because they feel they've already paid for the meal, or those who feel "safer" eating food from the ship than local food, there are MANY who do not eat many meals ashore.

 

[ducklite]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

But, I wonder if we are the norm.  I hear cruisers talking about making sure they get back to the ship to have lunch and dinner because they've paid for those meals already.   Or, they are taking a ship or private excursion where the meal is provided.  Not the same as eating local.

True--or the worst--can the ship make us sandwiches to take to the beach, and what is the cheapest way to get there...

[clo]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

But, I wonder if we are the norm.  I hear cruisers talking about making sure they get back to the ship to have lunch and dinner because they've paid for those meals already.   Or, they are taking a ship or private excursion where the meal is provided.  Not the same as eating local.

Our previous cruise experiences were 15+ years ago and that was certainly the case.  I think some, probably most, of it was they'd paid for it.  But I also believe that they just weren't one bit adventuresome.  Eating at out of the way spots all over the world is one of our great joys of travel.  Here's a pic of an amazing bowl of soup we had at 8AM in Hue, Vietnam.  Only one other person in our group did anything like this.

[chipmaster]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I am pretty convinced it is a minority who eat two meals ashore per port stop as alleged by chipmaster above -- most aren't going to eat breakfast ashore and by dinner, most ships have sailed or are about to sail...

 

That said, I am one who does not tend to eat lunches ashore when cruising. Not because I rush back to the ship and not because I am "cheap" -- rather, I am usually not willing to take the time out of my sightseeing to stop for lunch and/or I am often not near a restaurant (e.g., at an archaeological site).  I love eating local and do it on land trips, but on cruises not so much. So I think it's quite true to say that between those who just skip a meal to maximize their time ashore, those who want to eat on board because they feel they've already paid for the meal, or those who feel "safer" eating food from the ship than local food, there are MANY who do not eat many meals ashore.

 

 

Everybody has their priorities on the limited time in port, I can appreciate the desire to maximize their time.    Sometimes sitting down for a multiple course meal when you only have a few hours is terrible waste of time, or the most valuable depending on your view of what is important.     

 

Whatever choice, we are all impacted if cruiseline and cruises are viewed as the root of overtourism at places like Venice or Santorini. 

 

[Aquahound]

7 hours ago, slidergirl said:

But, I wonder if we are the norm.  I hear cruisers talking about making sure they get back to the ship to have lunch and dinner because they've paid for those meals already.   Or, they are taking a ship or private excursion where the meal is provided.  Not the same as eating local.

 

I had in-laws do that to us in Ketchikan.  They insisted on going back to the ship to eat their free lunch.  It was a win-win for me.  They got to eat for free and I got rid of the in-laws!

 

Meanwhile, DW and I went to Annabelle's and ate some of the best chowder we ever had. 

[Tom47]

We sometimes eat lunch ashore, if it's included in our excursion.  If it's not, we may just  grab a snack and have a late lunch back aboard the ship.  It all depends on how long we are ashore.  We are most interested in seeing the sights, rather than a long meal.

[clo]

17 minutes ago, Tom47 said:

We sometimes eat lunch ashore, if it's included in our excursion.  If it's not, we may just  grab a snack and have a late lunch back aboard the ship.  It all depends on how long we are ashore.  We are most interested in seeing the sights, rather than a long meal.

We're doing our first Oceania cruise and one really attractive thing is that we're in port, with one exception, from 8AM to 6PM.

[slidergirl]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I am pretty convinced it is a minority who eat two meals ashore per port stop as alleged by chipmaster above -- most aren't going to eat breakfast ashore and by dinner, most ships have sailed or are about to sail...

 

That said, I am one who does not tend to eat lunches ashore when cruising. Not because I rush back to the ship and not because I am "cheap" -- rather, I am usually not willing to take the time out of my sightseeing to stop for lunch and/or I am often not near a restaurant (e.g., at an archaeological site).  I love eating local and do it on land trips, but on cruises not so much. So I think it's quite true to say that between those who just skip a meal to maximize their time ashore, those who want to eat on board because they feel they've already paid for the meal, or those who feel "safer" eating food from the ship than local food, there are MANY who do not eat many meals ashore.

 

I know you - you are an "outlier" - you want every second you have at the places you are - you dive headlong into the digs all day long, not just a drive-by and on to the next one!!  😊

[slidergirl]

7 hours ago, clo said:

Our previous cruise experiences were 15+ years ago and that was certainly the case.  I think some, probably most, of it was they'd paid for it.  But I also believe that they just weren't one bit adventuresome.  Eating at out of the way spots all over the world is one of our great joys of travel.  Here's a pic of an amazing bowl of soup we had at 8AM in Hue, Vietnam.  Only one other person in our group did anything like this.

Looks perfect for that "morning after" breakfast!!!  😉

[slidergirl]

40 minutes ago, Tom47 said:

We sometimes eat lunch ashore, if it's included in our excursion.  If it's not, we may just  grab a snack and have a late lunch back aboard the ship.  It all depends on how long we are ashore.  We are most interested in seeing the sights, rather than a long meal.

Depending on the port, sometimes the long meal IS the "sight."    I'd rather have a leisurely lunch at a nice restaurant than fighting the hordes at some spots...

 

[clo]

27 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Looks perfect for that "morning after" breakfast!!!  😉

Bourdain declared it the best soup of the world.  And I found this place on someone's blog.  She starts serving at 6AM and when it's gone she's done for the day.  IIRC two bowls and a bottle of water was $4.

[cruisemom42]

22 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I know you - you are an "outlier" - you want every second you have at the places you are - you dive headlong into the digs all day long, not just a drive-by and on to the next one!!  😊

 

Definitely -- that's why I travel alone. No one else would be willing to spend as much time as me looking at some rocks and dirt. (Okay, there may be the occasional bit of sculpture or fresco involved....)

[slidergirl]

17 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Definitely -- that's why I travel alone. No one else would be willing to spend as much time as me looking at some rocks and dirt. (Okay, there may be the occasional bit of sculpture or fresco involved....)

I'll get down in the dirt with you!!!  But, if we find mosaic or "gingerbread" in the ruins, you have to let me get up close and take a bunch of pictures...

 

I wonder who saw or remembers this one on a ceiling in the Museums.  I got a chuckle out of it - the cherub looks looks like he's going to pull someone's tooth!!!  Call me weird...

[K32682]

On 8/20/2019 at 1:06 PM, slidergirl said:

But, I wonder if we are the norm.  I hear cruisers talking about making sure they get back to the ship to have lunch and dinner because they've paid for those meals already.   Or, they are taking a ship or private excursion where the meal is provided.  Not the same as eating local.

 

There can also be fears, often irrational, of "local" food.  I've been ashore with cruisers who were appalled at the suggestion of having lunch at a local restaurant or recoiled in horror when I bought a snack from a sidewalk food cart.  That type prefer to scurry back to the boat for lunch because they never eat food in foreign countries and are adamant that the ship's food is "safe." 

[clo]

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

There can also be fears, often irrational, of "local" food.  I've been ashore with cruisers who were appalled at the suggestion of having lunch at a local restaurant or recoiled in horror when I bought a snack from a sidewalk food cart.  That type prefer to scurry back to the boat for lunch because they never eat food in foreign countries and are adamant that the ship's food is "safe." 

To each her own.  I wouldn't travel if I couldn't eat the local food.  Had a little rat in Thailand a few years ago 🙂

[navybankerteacher]

On ‎8‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 10:40 PM, slidergirl said:

Depending on the port, sometimes the long meal IS the "sight."    I'd rather have a leisurely lunch at a nice restaurant than fighting the hordes at some spots...

 

Absolutely -- there are small places with side streets whose bistros can be IT.

[slidergirl]

53 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Absolutely -- there are small places with side streets whose bistros can be IT.

I'm also thinking about those ports where people say there isn't anything to do in the port or have to take excursions that take an hour or so each way.  There is always a cool little restaurant to be found. I mean, the local folks do like to go out for a good meal once in awhile, right?? 😉

 

P.S. avoid Cinque Terre - there's no good place to eat there...  (joking, but keeping my places secret)

[slidergirl]

1 hour ago, clo said:

To each her own.  I wouldn't travel if I couldn't eat the local food.  Had a little rat in Thailand a few years ago 🙂

Never had rat.  But, I caught and killed and BBQ'd rattlesnake at Girl Scout camp one year.   Did NOT taste like chicken.

[clo]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Absolutely -- there are small places with side streets whose bistros can be IT.

We actually did that in Dubrovnik.  This wasn't hidden but it was perhaps a tad higher end than some want.  It had a lovely view of the harbor.  We had a super lunch with sparkling wine.

[clo]

37 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

I'm also thinking about those ports where people say there isn't anything to do in the port or have to take excursions that take an hour or so each way.  There is always a cool little restaurant to be found. I mean, the local folks do like to go out for a good meal once in awhile, right?? 😉

 

P.S. avoid Cinque Terre - there's no good place to eat there...  (joking, but keeping my places secret)

When we sail from Rio to Buenos, IIRC there are four Brazilian ports where we'll go ashore and have a great lunch.  Even small places are mentioned on the internet.  When we were in Buzios (side trip/house exchange in Brazil) we had a super lunch at this former gas station.  You can likely tell we were the only non-locals.  Their hot sauce was so good we wanted to buy a bottle but he gave it to us.  Honestly these are my fave memories of travel - hanging with the locals 🙂

[clo]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Never had rat.  But, I caught and killed and BBQ'd rattlesnake at Girl Scout camp one year.   Did NOT taste like chicken.

These rats are actually in the rice fields where farmers of course don't want them.  So they kill 'em and then grill them by the side of the road.  Unfortunately our guide had the hotel cook the you-know-what out of them.  Tough and flavorless.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I'm also thinking about those ports where people say there isn't anything to do in the port or have to take excursions that take an hour or so each way.  There is always a cool little restaurant to be found. I mean, the local folks do like to go out for a good meal once in awhile, right?? 😉

 

P.S. avoid Cinque Terre - there's no good place to eat there...  (joking, but keeping my places secret)

Two of my favorite afternoons:  up one of those stone-floored, white-walled alleys on Mykonos with a partial view of the harbor, and a cul de sac in Lucca - no choice on the menu, you took what was ready, with wines perfectly paired. (Yeah —- I skipped the shipboard lunch I had already paid for.)

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Two of my favorite afternoons:  up one of those stone-floored, white-walled alleys on Mykonos with a partial view of the harbor, and a cul de sac in Lucca - no choice on the menu, you took what was ready, with wines perfectly paired. (Yeah —- I skipped the shipboard lunch I had already paid for.)

 

There are places I would enjoy no matter how many times I visited.  I think Lucca is one of them.   

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, clo said:

To each her own.  I wouldn't travel if I couldn't eat the local food.  Had a little rat in Thailand a few years ago 🙂

 

In my family I'm well known as the one with the iron stomach. I've eaten street food in Egypt with no ill (pun intended) consequences, and was the only one in Tunisia to not get "Tunis tummy".  However, I understand not everyone has the same intestinal fortitude....!

 

Guinea pig in Peru is all well and good, but not sure I'd eat rat. While I have no unreasonable concerns about cleanliness, there are some things that just don't appeal. In Italy, try as I might, I just can't force myself to like the "quinto quarto" and I have tried, oh how I've tried...  

 

In global tourism today I see a distinct trend toward elitism in terms of "oh we went (insert exotic name) and we ate (insert exotic food) and it was great."  I tend to be brutally honest most of the time. In Romania for example we ate fish fresh out of the local lake a couple of hours earlier and grilled at the restaurant beside it. I ate them and grinned but those bottom feeding suckers tasted like dirt. 

 

 

[ldubs]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

In my family I'm well known as the one with the iron stomach. I've eaten street food in Egypt with no ill (pun intended) consequences, and was the only one in Tunisia to not get "Tunis tummy".  However, I understand not everyone has the same intestinal fortitude....!

 

Guinea pig in Peru is all well and good, but not sure I'd eat rat. While I have no unreasonable concerns about cleanliness, there are some things that just don't appeal. In Italy, try as I might, I just can't force myself to like the "quinto quarto" and I have tried, oh how I've tried...  

 

In global tourism today I see a distinct trend toward elitism in terms of "oh we went (insert exotic name) and we ate (insert exotic food) and it was great."  I tend to be brutally honest most of the time. In Romania for example we ate fish fresh out of the local lake a couple of hours earlier and grilled at the restaurant beside it. I ate them and grinned but those bottom feeding suckers tasted like dirt. 

 

 

 

There are certain things, including types of fish, that I do not eat.  I rarely seek it out and think I can enjoy a place without total immersion with the locals.