If you stay on ship in port

[wolfcathorse]

We only waited about 15 minutes to tender off Grandeur (8:30 am) at Coz (no tender tickets) and about 15 min to tender back (around 2:30 pm). 5ships were in port that day, the main drag was crowded for shopping and since the cruiselines own those stores anyway we went shopping 1 block off the main drag. No crowds and quieter, same merchandise, same willingness to negotiate on prices. Go about half way down to the clock tower, turn right, and you're at a huge plaza. There's streets with shops all around. Destruction evident all around, the palm trees were still just leafing out again. Saw no work being done on the Punta Langosta pier where we tendered. Just work being done on the buildings. Still got a tad sunburned shopping and got back to the ship in time to sit by an empty pool with a gazillion pool chairs to choose from and the complete attention of the bar waiter desperate for something to do.

[beachnative]

We usually stay on board the ship unless we enter a port we've never visited (we've been to almost all Caribbean ports). We are booking "Freedom of the Seas" and doubt that we will ever leave the ship. We anticipate that our best days onboard will be port days when almost everyone else is on shore. The days at sea will be spent on our balcony. Sailing the Western Caribbean and visiting the ports no longer holds interest for us...we are going for the ship...and especially for the times we have her to ourselves.

[KKeeganS]

I feel like I'm giving away trade secrets here, but oh well. We tend to hit the beaches early in the morning. We come back to the ship for lunch, and then spend the afternoon in the shade around the pool. We seem to miss the crowds everywhere this way, which is why we love it so much!