Have you ever been under- whelmed by a place that is great ,mine was Paris .How about you.

[lynncarol]

My husband and I have loved every city we visited throughout the world until hitting Verona, Italy. It  definitely disappointed us.  At the time we were traveling in Italy independently and disliked this city so much we paid an extra train fare to leave the next morning, instead of the following evening. It was very hot and filled with tourists. Their Roman colosseum was tricked out for an entertainment event and none of the public bathrooms were open. We were also charged 6 additional euros (in addition to our coffee) because we sat at a table and drank it. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention our hotel that assigned us a room that turned out to be already occupied, a fact we learned only after stripping down to our underwear to cool off.

[Dogsrawesome]

For us it was Phuket, Thailand. The diving was beautiful, but there was litter everywhere on the ocean floor. The locals we interacted with seemed mostly just angry that we were there. We did however love Cambodia on the same trip. 

[Tapi]

On 10/21/2020 at 8:59 AM, ilikeanswers said:

I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this but my most underwhelming city was New York City😳.

I agree with you. I just can’t get myself to like that place, no matter how many times I visit. As soon as I read the tittle of this thread, I thought NEW YORK CITY. 

Edited October 24, 2020 by Tapi

[FredT]

On 10/21/2020 at 8:43 PM, rkacruiser said:

Luxor and the Valley of the Kings; the journey to that area from the port of Safaga:  Armed soldiers in jeeps in front, behind, and along the side of our bus caravan to/from Luxor.  Armed soldiers at the tourist sites.  Not something that I will experience again.  

Maybe try again....   We were there in March (Overnight on a NCL cruise)  No soldiers anywhere,  and a very enjoyable trip to all the tourist sites.  Stayed the night at the German hotel on the Nile, and it was absolutely 4 star.   

[FredT]

As someone raised in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico) I have a strong fondness for the islands...  Having said THAT,  I would echo a couple of others in naming the cruise ports of Jamaica as the most "underwhelming" ports in the world.   And like those before me, it is ALL about the locals, and how they act towards and treat the tourists. Sadly, the same is true (IMHO) of the Bahamas,   but everything gets better (island by island) the further SE you go until you hit Curacao.  (My favorite island other than Bermuda and of course my "home" of Puerto Rico.) 😁

[navybankerteacher]

9 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Brussels is great if all you do is eat and drink Belgian beer 😉

Can you eat anything else than Brussels sprouts while drinking that Belgian beer?

Edited October 24, 2020 by navybankerteacher

[d9704011]

Just now, navybankerteacher said:

Can you eat anything else than Brussels sprouts?

Belgian waffles & Belgian chocolate.  But not on the same plate... that’s too fattening!  Eat one as an entree and the other as a dessert; doesn’t matter which.

[cruisemom42]

16 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Can you eat anything else than Brussels sprouts while drinking that Belgian beer?

 

I happen to think that Belgian frites go perfectly with Belgian beer.

[navybankerteacher]

6 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I happen to think that Belgian frites go perfectly with Belgian beer.

Thank you - you reminded me of a beautiful afternoon in Namur - I had stopped for an omelet and frites at an open cafe after exploring the citadel - I did, in fact, need to ask for a second serving of frites.

[SelectSys]

5 hours ago, lynncarol said:

... We were also charged 6 additional euros (in addition to our coffee) because we sat at a table and drank it...

 

Something like this happened to us except worse across the street from the Vatican Museum entrance.  I think we got charged 40 Euros for 2 pastries and coffees while waiting for our time as they had widely different prices posted for to go and didn't list the prices for inside dining. 

 

I thought at the time it was a good thing they were across the street from the Vatican as it would be easy to go to confession every day!

 

Here is the link to Caffe Vaticano  -

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Caffè+Vaticano/@41.9070586,12.4533292,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x6138dda8978805bc!8m2!3d41.9070586!4d12.4533292

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by SelectSys

[Donald]

Underwhelming for me:

Boston

Philadelphia

New York

Miami

San Diego 

LA

 

All of them dirty, dangerous, expensive, unfriendly, boring.

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

 

Something like this happened to us except worse across the street from the Vatican Museum entrance.  I think we got charged 40 Euros for 2 pastries and coffees while waiting for our time as they had widely different prices posted for to go and didn't list the prices for inside dining. 

 

I thought at the time it was a good thing they were across the street from the Vatican as it would be easy to go to confession every day!

 

Here is the link to Caffe Vaticano  -

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Caffè+Vaticano/@41.9070586,12.4533292,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x6138dda8978805bc!8m2!3d41.9070586!4d12.4533292

 

 

 

 

I feel like I've stopped there for pastries and coffee as well, long time ago. Live and learn. 

 

Italy's main tourist cities (Rome, Florence, Venice) have unfortunately some unscrupulous restaurants and bars with a habit of hugely overcharging unsuspecting tourists, particularly near key "scenic" areas where they know visitors are likely to be in a mood to splurge on a special meal and/or be less careful about "extra" charges. The unwritten rule that many tourists don't know is that you can NEVER assume such extra charges are minimal. Always ask to see a menu, and ask for clarification about the different costs or specials, particularly in regards to:

• Standing inside versus sitting inside versus sitting outside with food or drinks (most reputable bars -- places for coffee, drinks, pastries and light food/snacks -- will ask you to pay in advance, so you should know up front. Also, I believe recent changes require them to have such differences in pricing posted somewhere.
• Exact pricing for meat and seafood. Again, many tourists don't realize that quite a few restaurants sell their steaks and certain fish by weight. The price you see on the menu may not be the price for the whole entree but by minimum weight (which can often be about a third of what most people would eat for a normal serving).
• Gelato add-ons.  There are hundreds of stories from tourists about being overcharged for gelato. A 3 euro cup of gelato can become a 15 euro expense when the owner asks if you want the "special" (a.k.a. over the top) toppings -- nuts, whipped cream, candy, syrup. Always ask the price for such upgrades before agreeing.
• Cost of a "special" bottle of wine, if offered.

Some stories that made the news:

 

Two Japanese diners slapped with a bill for €430 ($470) for two plates of spaghetti and fish, and water in Rome:  https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/tourists-complaints-rome-restaurant-intl-scli/index.html

 

Tourists charged more than €1,100 for dinner near San Marco in Venice:   https://www.thelocal.it/20180123/venice-inquiry-japanese-tourists-overcharged-restaurant

 

 

I just want to add that most restaurants are honest and do not engage in such behavior. But if you must dine on Piazza Navona in Rome, or with a view of the Duomo in Florence, just be extra wary.  Generally the better and less touristy restaurants can be found only a few blocks away, but not immediately overlooking tourists hot spots.

 

[donaldsc]

I would add every island that we have been to in the Caribbean as underwhelming,  very underwhelming or extremely underwhelming.  Also every place that people go to where there is a beach.  I feel that a beach becomes deathly boring after about 2 1/2 minutes.

 

DON

[donaldsc]

9 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I feel like I've stopped there for pastries and coffee as well, long time ago. Live and learn. 

 

Italy's main tourist cities (Rome, Florence, Venice) have unfortunately some unscrupulous restaurants and bars with a habit of hugely overcharging unsuspecting tourists, particularly near key "scenic" areas where they know visitors are likely to be in a mood to splurge on a special meal and/or be less careful about "extra" charges. The unwritten rule that many tourists don't know is that you can NEVER assume such extra charges are minimal. Always ask to see a menu, and ask for clarification about the different costs or specials, particularly in regards to:

• Standing inside versus sitting inside versus sitting outside with food or drinks (most reputable bars -- places for coffee, drinks, pastries and light food/snacks -- will ask you to pay in advance, so you should know up front. Also, I believe recent changes require them to have such differences in pricing posted somewhere.
• Exact pricing for meat and seafood. Again, many tourists don't realize that quite a few restaurants sell their steaks and certain fish by weight. The price you see on the menu may not be the price for the whole entree but by minimum weight (which can often be about a third of what most people would eat for a normal serving).
• Gelato add-ons.  There are hundreds of stories from tourists about being overcharged for gelato. A 3 euro cup of gelato can become a 15 euro expense when the owner asks if you want the "special" (a.k.a. over the top) toppings -- nuts, whipped cream, candy, syrup. Always ask the price for such upgrades before agreeing.
• Cost of a "special" bottle of wine, if offered.

Some stories that made the news:

 

Two Japanese diners slapped with a bill for €430 ($470) for two plates of spaghetti and fish, and water in Rome:  https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/tourists-complaints-rome-restaurant-intl-scli/index.html

 

Tourists charged more than €1,100 for dinner near San Marco in Venice:   https://www.thelocal.it/20180123/venice-inquiry-japanese-tourists-overcharged-restaurant

 

 

I just want to add that most restaurants are honest and do not engage in such behavior. But if you must dine on Piazza Navona in Rome, or with a view of the Duomo in Florence, just be extra wary.  Generally the better and less touristy restaurants can be found only a few blocks away, but not immediately overlooking tourists hot spots.

 

 

This is a TripAdvisor review of a cafe located right outside of the Vatican - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187791-d1089060-r534942627-Caffe_Vaticano-Rome_Lazio.html.  You can see that we were a bit underwhelmed w the place.

 

DON

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 

This is a TripAdvisor review of a cafe located right outside of the Vatican - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187791-d1089060-r534942627-Caffe_Vaticano-Rome_Lazio.html.  You can see that we were a bit underwhelmed w the place.

 

DON

 

Holy cow, we ate at this same place many years ago - maybe 15 years ago.  I didn't remember the name but when I read you guy's posts it sounded very familiar.  Then I recognized it from the location and pic's.  I don't remember getting seriously gouged so much but the food was poor.  Seems it has a long history of being a tourist trap.   

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

Holy cow, we ate at this same place many years ago - maybe 15 years ago.  I didn't remember the name but when I read you guy's posts it sounded very familiar.  Then I recognized it from the location and pic's.  I don't remember getting seriously gouged so much but the food was poor.  Seems it has a long history of being a tourist trap.   

 

I assume that you read the total number of very bad reviews on TripAdvisor.  It was also intriguing that a few people loved it or else were paid to love it.  They do have a wonderful location and as I recall it was quite crowded.

 

DON

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, donaldsc said:

I would add every island that we have been to in the Caribbean as underwhelming,  very underwhelming or extremely underwhelming.  Also every place that people go to where there is a beach.  I feel that a beach becomes deathly boring after about 2 1/2 minutes.

 

DON

LOL, that's one that DW and I disagree on. She loves beaches. I don't.

[cruisemom42]

Back on to the more general topic...

 

It's interesting to me that several people have given reasons for not liking a place that to me would have little bearing on my own feelings for or against -- for example, needing a police escort in Egypt or not having a good hotel or restaurant experience. 

 

The former to me would be very much a matter of "this is what daily life is like here, and if I want to experience this country, the safety precautions are a given and a necessity."  I remember flying into the airport in Rome in the late 1990s when there were carabinieri with machine guns stationed all around the upper mezzanine level of the arrivals hall with their guns trained on the newly arriving people. A bit intimidating, but just at that time, necessary. Certainly didn't put me off Rome. . The latter kind of thing I just chalk down to one of those experiences of traveling -- annoying at the time, perhaps, but often making a good story later.

 

Certainly if I were to cross cities off my list of favorites due to a bad hotel, I'd have to eliminate the horrid hotel in Dougga in Tunisia with lizards on the wall (inside, not outside!) and terrible food, or the sauna of a room I had in Konya in Turkey (windows not operable, of course). But instead I remember the gorgeous amphitheatre in Dougga (so well preserved that it actually was used for most of the scenes in "Gladiator") and the mosaics museum there, or the peaceful Mevlana mosque and museum (Mevlana is also known as Rumi) in Konya and the whirling dervish performance I saw there.

 

Police escort aside, Egypt is a somewhat different matter. I've been there four times (not since the recent governmental upheaval). It can be a hard country to visit in terms of seeing what daily life is like for many there, and for a tourist you HAVE to be willing to accept that in most places (outside the tourist enclaves in Cairo or Luxor) the standard for travelers is not what many are used to.  Every time I've been there I've enjoyed myself, though, and I still would like to go back and see some of the western desert, particularly the Siwa Oasis with the temple visited by Alexander the Great....

 

 

[ilikeanswers]

I would mostly agree with @cruisemom42. In Maupiti the accommodation was terrible but it is still my top three French Polynesian island. Dubrovnik we had the worst accommodation ever but I still have fond memories of the city. There is a whole list of terrible meals I have had but I don't find they stick in my memory the way other posters seemed to have cemented them🤔. Heck I have had terrible meals on cruises but that didn't spoil the whole cruise for me 😄.

 

I have only once had to deal with a military escort and that was to visit the ruins of Caracol in Belize. And it was a whole rigmarole too where you had to meet them at place at a specific time and if you missed the escort you couldn't visit. Maybe because I had researched it so thoroughly to make sure I got the instructions right I guess I was mentally prepared so I didn't find it in anyway intimidating and the fact they are stationed there to protect the forest I thought was a pretty good initiative by the government😊. 

[Roz]

13 hours ago, Donald said:

Underwhelming for me:

Boston

Philadelphia

New York

Miami

San Diego 

LA

 

All of them dirty, dangerous, expensive, unfriendly, boring.

 

San Diego?  Love San Diego and love sailing from there.  

[SelectSys]

13 hours ago, Donald said:

Underwhelming for me:

...

San Diego ...

 

All of them dirty, dangerous, expensive, unfriendly, boring.

 

No love for my city 😞 

 

San Diego is definitely not a world leader on the cultural front, but I think we are a very nice place to visit and especially so if you like outside recreation and the beach.   In addition, I think being along the Mexican border with Baja is a huge plus for our region as it adds a whole other area for visitors to explore and enjoy.

 

 

[SelectSys]

11 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Holy cow, we ate at this same place many years ago - maybe 15 years ago...

 

13 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I feel like I've stopped there for pastries and coffee as well, long time ago. Live and learn. 

 

13 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 we were a bit underwhelmed w the place.

 

Sad to hear that others here are part of the Caffe Vaticano alumni association.  These guys are certainly skilled in their craft! 

[slidergirl]

To the Vatican folks: you could have walked down the hill 15 minutes (probably less) to have some of the best pizza a taglio anywhere in the world...  Bonci Pizzarium.   Then, I just grab a bottle of cold water from the snack truck at the Museums entrance to drink while I wait. 

 

Sometimes you have to use that boring city as the starting point.  Like Pisa.  Take the train to Montelupo.  Lots of ceramics there.  A nice man and his daughter took us through their "factory" and we ended up talking to them for quite a while.   We were staying at an agroturismo just outside of Pisa.  We found a self-service laundry to do some things.  We found a very nice church area to visit and ended up talking to some locals.  

[iancal]

18 hours ago, Dogsrawesome said:

For us it was Phuket, Thailand. The diving was beautiful, but there was litter everywhere on the ocean floor. The locals we interacted with seemed mostly just angry that we were there. We did however love Cambodia on the same trip. 

 

Absolutely agree about Phuket.  We have spent numerous winters in Thailand.  After our first visit, first time in Thailand we have completely avoided it in favor of less popular places.  It is awful our opinion.  It is not representative of Thailand.

[Langley Cruisers]

1 hour ago, SelectSys said:

No love for my city 😞 

 

Well, we love your city. 😊 So disappointed that our Coastal cruise from San Diego was cancelled this past spring due to Covid. We always take a couple of days pre-cruise in embarkation city, and my poor husband was devastated when we couldn't get down there this year. 😔