Going down memory lane. Favorite port and why

[iggyc]

We can’t cruise but we can share stories. What’s your favorite port and why

 

st John. My family spent the day on a deserted beach. Rainbow over the water. Son cracked open coconuts with a rock. Great snorkeling with my daughter . Husband died a few years later. Will always have this memory

 

ncl. Norway. Was a free cruise after the sky almost tipped over in Alaska the year before. I was a wreck the whole cruise every time the ship shuddered but that day I will always remember

[mugtech]

Singapore is a well run city with cultures from all of Asia plus the British.  We had great food, HOHO bus was a wonderful prelude to all the sections of the city.  We also have family working there so we had excellent tour guides both days.  Would advise anyone sailing out of Singapore to fly in at least two days eatly or if disembarking in Singapore to spend ar least two extra days.  Watching Crazy Rich Asians also gives one a good feel for the city.

[joeyancho]

Ocho Rios, hands down.  The culture, the music, the people,  the forest, the mountains, the food,  the vibe,  yeah mon!

[Travelling2Some]

Sydney, Australia.  Beautiful city with so much variety within a short distance.  Venice and Shanghai tie for second. 

[barb65]

Bermuda. Loved the beauty, culture and history of this island. Always felt safe here. No one pestering you to buy something all the time. Liked that we were docked here for two nights and almost three days, which gave us plenty of time to tour the island. Went there twice on NCL Escape.

[debnjoe1438]

7 hours ago, barb65 said:

Bermuda. Loved the beauty, culture and history of this island. Always felt safe here. No one pestering you to buy something all the time. Liked that we were docked here for two nights and almost three days, which gave us plenty of time to tour the island. Went there twice on NCL Escape.

Don't have a favorite "port", however cruise destination favorite has to be Alaska. Beautiful place to visit, couldn't pick one port. Did a cruise tour there, Mt McKinley,  was a beautiful and scary trip up and down.

[mugtech]

33 minutes ago, debnjoe1438 said:

Don't have a favorite "port", however cruise destination favorite has to be Alaska. Beautiful place to visit, couldn't pick one port. Did a cruise tour there, Mt McKinley,  was a beautiful and scary trip up and down.

Agree Denali is a great stop in Alaska.

[4774Papa]

We cruise for the ports, not the ship.  We have been to so many ports that it is hard to pick a favorite.

 

I would rate Sydney, Australia as number 1, but also must mention Santorini, Greece, Athens, Greece, Venice, Italy, Hong Kong and Geiranger, Norway.

[latebloomer56]

First Thank You iggyc for a nice post and a positive vibe.

 

On NCL it is easy Bermuda (we loved POA but hated the flight). Bermuda has a lot of memories for us and we hope to create more next year in May.

 

For ports other than with NCL all Alaska trips (3 total so far) I love the peacefulness of cruising the inside passage. So much beauty so relaxing. Someday I want to take the boys, it's a must see as far as I'm concerned.

 

Europe is great as well, but want the boys to see USA first. Bermuda isn't the US but it's an easy trip out of our home port of Boston so we can travel together.

[Georgia_Peaches]

In the Caribbean, my favorite is Bonaire.  We did the ABC's back in November and visited Bonaire for the first time.  We were awestruck by the beauty of the island.  It's small but vastly different in view depending on which side you're on.  We rented a golf cart and toured both sides of the island.  By far one of the best experiences we've had on a Caribbean cruise.

 

In the Mediterranean, it would have to be Cinque Terre.  The colorful houses and building nestled in the hillside overlooking the ocean was some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen.

 

[sverigecruiser]

 

Kahului, Maui.

 

It was during our first cruise and we took a helicopter ride over western Maui and Molokai. It was a fantastic day and something we will remember for the rest of our life! 

[Diver2014]

We usually cruise for the ship, not the port......but, St Thomas and Santorini stand out as favorites. Also loved Sydney, Australia.

And I have to eat my words because the British Isles cruise we took last May/June was awesome.

[tallnthensome]

So many amazing ports hard to pick but none of the basic Caribbean ports would make our personal lists of favorites.

 

St. Petersburg, Russia - we flew from there to Moscow on the cruise stop

Port Said, and the road to Cairo Egypt

Athens - Acropolis & Parthenon  

Rome - so much to see

Guatemala - Last year on the Bliss PC cruise. Climbed Pacaya volcano with my 10 and 12 year daughters. An amazingly difficult but rewarding beautiful experience.

Istanbul & Kusadasi Turkey 

 

Many many more but to keep the list short. Oh how I miss cruising right now ....

 

[spanishguy1970]

Venice, Alaska, Barcelona

[tallnthensome]

14 hours ago, joeyancho said:

Ocho Rios, hands down.  

The original poster said “favorite “ cruise port, not “worst”. Lol! Just kidding! 😆

[sverigecruiser]

 

The day after our stop in Kahului we were in Lahaina, that was very nice too! We hiked in the rainforest and even if the waterfalls weren't very impressing after thoose we had seen from the helicopter the day before it was very nice to swim under one of them!   

[cruisequeen4ever]

Caribbean- Barbados because of the perfect water, great food, and fun culture

 

Europe- Naples because of the beauty of Capri and the Amalfi Coast and the food 

[joeyancho]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

The original poster said “favorite “ cruise port, not “worst”. Lol! Just kidding! 😆

I understand that a lot of people dont like Jamaica.  The vendors are pushy and it makes people uncomfortable.  But once you get past that, it has a lot to offer.  The worst port for me is NCL private resort in Belize.  It is straight out of Disney with Disney prices.  Nothing authentic about it.  But a lot of people love it. It's okay that different people like different things. Grandpa said if everybody liked the same thing,  everyone would be after grandma. 

[IrieBajan54]

Taurangua, New Zealand.

 

I will never forget my hike of Mount Maunganui. From the summit beautiful views of the Bay of Plenty. A really nice beach too.

[CruiseMH]

Stockholm = incredible scenery when entering the port through the archipelago, docking berth in walking distance the city. City itself amazing

Venice = specatular view of the city when entering or leaving the port. Cty itself is nice,but too crowded

Naples = Port directly adjacent to the city, so incredibly much to do (Capri,Amalfi coast,Pompeij)

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

What's tough is to pick one as a port for one single day.  My favorites were Singapore, Sydney and Barcelona but I wouldn't recommend any of them on a cruise if its only one single port day.  Singapore was simply magically, they have Michelin rated food hawkers often with dishes under $10 USD. I had average expectations for Barcelona and was pleasantly surprised how fun it was and how much you can see and do.  While I never encountered anyone being rude, they're known for not being overly warm to tourists.  Sydney has so much to do and see yet there's so much more to Australia than just Sydney.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Bermuda is the port that we love to visit, because the island is beautiful with plenty to do,  locals are very friendly, and we always feel safe there.  

 

That said, our next favorites are sea days.  I just love to be on the ship, watch the sea and relax.

[okpaddy]

I have loved Vancouver, Barcelona, Venice, and Florence for pre and post cruise ports. However my favorite port is Belize City. I realize that Belize is on a different level from my favorite cities of Canada, and Europe.

What makes Belize special for me is my DW. She is a devoted quilter and we occasionally seek out fabric stores during our travels. Belize City has a favorite fabric store for DW to shop for unique fabrics that she cannot find at home. My job is to arrange transportation, locate the stores, then carry and pay for the fabric. I guess for me, it's the companion and not the port that brings me the most joy.

[iggyc]

You all are making my travel feet itchy. 

[PhillyTravelBug]

I’m not a world traveler, but from what I’ve been to...

 Skagway or Ketchikan and Bermuda as well.