What is your favourite port to approach by ship and to leave and Why?

[MMDown Under]

What is your favourite port to approach by ship and to leave?

My favourite to approach is NYC and my favourite to leave is Bora Bora in Tahiti.

 

Why - 

It takes forever to approach NYC with the high rises in the far distance and the big bridges.  Then you get close enough to identify the buildings and bridges. 

NYC is special because that is where I met a penpal who I got from the Parker Pen Pavilion at the World Trade Fair, NYC.  She is about to turn 80 this month and is the one I just sent a birthday card to.

 

Bora Bora is a stunningly beautiful romantic destination, even cruising on your own.  Just grab a chair, put your feet up and dream as the ship pulls away in the darkness !

[OzKiwiJJ]

Usually I'm not awake for arrivals but did make an effort for New York. It is indeed very special. 

 

Sydney is also stunning, arriving and departing.

 

I love leaving Otago Harbour with its narrow channel that crosses from one side to another.

 

Kotor is spectacular and fun, especially on a Princess Royal Class ship with the multi-tone ship's horn. The way the Love Boat theme echoes off the side of the fjord is quite special. Then the ship goes through a very narrow channel where cars line the sides and toot their horns. Then it's a gentle cruise through the Bay of Kotor to the Adriatic Sea as the sun sets.

[Aus Traveller]

Favourite port for arriving - Venice. Favourite port for leaving - Kotor.

[Jean C]

Stunning port for arriving is Rio de Janeiro, seeing Corcovado with Christ the Redeemer looking out towards us with His welcoming outstretched arms, and also seeing Sugarloaf Mountain with the cable car lines strung up from the bottom to the top. We arrived on a beautiful cloudless day, it couldn't have been more perfect 👌 

 

Favourite port to leave is each and every embarkation port, knowing we are at the starting point of our holiday 🙃

[Ozwoody]

That's an incredibly hard question to select one place.

But i would have to agree that Kotor would be one that would be up there, sailing through the mirror like fjords reflecting the towering mountains sweeping down to the waters edge, and the beautiful building lining both sides. final coming around the last bend to see Kotor city rising from the sea and up into the mountains. 

 

Having been on a rear balcony dinning and wining, as we left Bora Bora, yes that is a very breath taking sailaway, watching it recede away in the wake. We were doubly lucky to see two orca wales breaching and frolicking just to the side of the ship as we watched the twilight descend.

 

But also so many others, like Cobn, with the bands playing on the dock and the people waving tea towels farewell from their homes on the hills. There wasn't a dry eye on the deck during sailaway.

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Ozwoody

[arxcards]

I used to always brave the elements on deck for sunrise sail-ins. Not so much now. Some ports are interesting just because of the manoeuvres to get to the dock, while others are just plain beautiful.

 

There will be others that I didn't get to see, but a shortlist of those fresh in my mind.

Victoria BC. Lots of activity during the approach, then a fair bit of fancy work from the bridge to get along side.

Hobart - the cruise up the Derwent has some beautiful scenery. Also the lone piper with auld lang syne as you depart the wharf.

Juneau - Pre-sunrise blue hues on the land when approaching

Newcastle - surely everyone is excited to be leaving Newcastle. Seriously though, it is easy on the eye, and they fire the Fort Scratchley guns to salute the departure

One of the Hawaiian ports - can't recall which. Beautiful views of the island.

 

But Sydney still blows my mind, in and out. 

Top of my want list is Fort Lauderdale. I don't expect it will be too beautiful, but I could spend a week on the inlet watching the ship procession, then jump on for our own departure.

 

PS - add San Francisco. Views of the city, cruise past Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate is almost shrouded in fog. Then when you get close and the fog shifts - magic.

Edited September 29, 2022 by arxcards
PS

[OzKiwiJJ]

Cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge is something special. The time we did that the sun created a pathway to the bridge. Pure magic, especially accompanied by the sound of Louis Armstrong singing Wonderful World.

[cruiser3775]

San Francisco for sure. Beautiful bay and love the Golden Gate bridge.

St Petersburg in Alaska for leaving. It has a very tricky channel that ships masters have to serve a long apprenticeship before they can navigate it solo.

[ekka49]

23 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Usually I'm not awake for arrivals but did make an effort for New York. It is indeed very special. 

 

Sydney is also stunning, arriving and departing.

 

I love leaving Otago Harbour with its narrow channel that crosses from one side to another.

 

Kotor is spectacular and fun, especially on a Princess Royal Class ship with the multi-tone ship's horn. The way the Love Boat theme echoes off the side of the fjord is quite special. Then the ship goes through a very narrow channel where cars line the sides and toot their horns. Then it's a gentle cruise through the Bay of Kotor to the Adriatic Sea as the sun sets.

I must agree with you about Kotor, just spectacular scenery.

[challis]

Noumea ,arrival .

you enter the reef,you can see it ringing neu caladoni.  from up high on the cruise ship,the channel ,its ocean swells,then calm inside.magic in the early morning light

isle of pines,departure

as you leave , about 20 min .out you pass close by a little light house on a deserted 1 palm tree sandy island,in the evening dusk  light,its magical

how i daydream of spending a day,night castaway,with a bottle or 3 of vervue cliquot and lobster bbq.bonjour

Edited September 30, 2022 by challis

[yes!yes!yes!]

Shanghai, on Legend of the seas we docked right in the centre.

Hong Kong night time sail away with the light show.

Spain, cant remember if it was Vigo or Ferrol, Think it was Ferrol. Beautiful scenery on an early morning arrival.

[yes!yes!yes!]

20 hours ago, arxcards said:

I used to always brave the elements on deck for sunrise sail-ins. Not so much now. Some ports are interesting just because of the manoeuvres to get to the dock, while others are just plain beautiful.

 

There will be others that I didn't get to see, but a shortlist of those fresh in my mind.

Victoria BC. Lots of activity during the approach, then a fair bit of fancy work from the bridge to get along side.

Hobart - the cruise up the Derwent has some beautiful scenery. Also the lone piper with auld lang syne as you depart the wharf.

Juneau - Pre-sunrise blue hues on the land when approaching

Newcastle - surely everyone is excited to be leaving Newcastle. Seriously though, it is easy on the eye, and they fire the Fort Scratchley guns to salute the departure

One of the Hawaiian ports - can't recall which. Beautiful views of the island.

 

But Sydney still blows my mind, in and out. 

Top of my want list is Fort Lauderdale. I don't expect it will be too beautiful, but I could spend a week on the inlet watching the ship procession, then jump on for our own departure.

 

PS - add San Francisco. Views of the city, cruise past Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate is almost shrouded in fog. Then when you get close and the fog shifts - magic.

I like Newcastle too. They make a great effort with firing the cannon 3 times as we sail away.

[Over from NZ]

Kotor is cool. So is Santorini. But I have to say (as a Kiwi I don’t want to lol), Sydney Australia is hard to beat! Especially coming under the coat hanger! 

[portcbob]

Santorini & Venice.👍

[arxcards]

13 hours ago, challis said:

Noumea ,arrival .

you enter the reef,you can see it ringing neu caladoni.  from up high on the cruise ship,the channel ,its ocean swells,then calm inside.magic in the early morning light

isle of pines,departure

as you leave , about 20 min .out you pass close by a little light house on a deserted 1 palm tree sandy island,in the evening dusk  light,its magical

how i daydream of spending a day,night castaway,with a bottle or 3 of vervue cliquot and lobster bbq.bonjour

Coming through the little barrier islands is indeed beautiful, especially after 3 days at sea, and nice scenery for much of the way. Most of our Noumea visits have been on the larger ships that dock at the container wharf, and the final part of the greeting is from an ugly nickel smelter and a wharf full of containers.

[MMDown Under]

14 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Kotor is cool. So is Santorini. But I have to say (as a Kiwi I don’t want to lol), Sydney Australia is hard to beat! Especially coming under the coat hanger! 

Agree re Sydney Harbour.  It looked special with two ships just passing in the harbour.  

[Gwendy]

On 9/30/2022 at 12:39 PM, cruiser3775 said:

San Francisco for sure. Beautiful bay and love the Golden Gate bridge.

St Petersburg in Alaska for leaving. It has a very tricky channel that ships masters have to serve a long apprenticeship before they can navigate it solo.

Three times arriving and departing SAN Fran, every time bridge covered in fog.  Maybe I will try again one day,  My vote for Venice and New York, Dubrovnik up there also.

[Sparky74]

Not Brisbane! 

We have just boarded the Pacific Encounter and are about to sail way. We also cruised in and out of Brisbane on the Coral Princess in June/July. 
I can just imagine international visitors staying in a nice hotel in downtown BrisVegus for a few days. They call a taxi or Uber to go to the cruise terminal. Surely they’d begin to wonder if their driver had nefarious intentions as they travel through an industrial wasteland. And to cap it all off, the shiny new terminal is right beside the sewerage treatment works. 

[bazshirl2]

Arrival- Venice  Departure - Rio with the setting sun. An amazing experience.

[cruiser3775]

Can't arrive in Venice any more.

[Relaxing Robbies]

4 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

Not Brisbane! 

We have just boarded the Pacific Encounter and are about to sail way. We also cruised in and out of Brisbane on the Coral Princess in June/July. 
I can just imagine international visitors staying in a nice hotel in downtown BrisVegus for a few days. They call a taxi or Uber to go to the cruise terminal. Surely they’d begin to wonder if their driver had nefarious intentions as they travel through an industrial wasteland. And to cap it all off, the shiny new terminal is right beside the sewerage treatment works. 

Our taxi driver taking us to the terminal had never been there before. I had printed out the instructions on how to get there and gave it to him. He had his doubts and kept asking us if we were sure that was where we needed to go. I think he thought that WE had nefarious intentions.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

Our taxi driver taking us to the terminal had never been there before. I had printed out the instructions on how to get there and gave it to him. He had his doubts and kept asking us if we were sure that was where we needed to go. I think he thought that WE had nefarious intentions.

That is funny!

[bvm49]

Our favourite departures were at all the ports on our 10 night Japanese cruise on Diamond Princess in April 2014. I don't know if it was because they had just started cruising around Japan, but the locals put on a great show at all the ports - one was in pouring rain and another had an amazing fireworks display.

 

As a funny sideline, Princess said there wouldn't be anytime dining as the Japanese liked meal times to be fixed. This rule quickly changed on the nights when the departure time clashed with the early dining time!

[joejoe 59]

22 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

Not Brisbane! 

We have just boarded the Pacific Encounter and are about to sail way. We also cruised in and out of Brisbane on the Coral Princess in June/July. 
I can just imagine international visitors staying in a nice hotel in downtown BrisVegus for a few days. They call a taxi or Uber to go to the cruise terminal. Surely they’d begin to wonder if their driver had nefarious intentions as they travel through an industrial wasteland. And to cap it all off, the shiny new terminal is right beside the sewerage treatment works. 

We are more then  happy to have the new cruise terminal. We spend nearly 3 hrs driving from home & are just happy to see the ship sitting there waiting for us, & with more ship options. It was only a little smelly 💩

I agree for international visitors it isn't pretty but neither is flying into most cities, traffic traffic & more traffic.  

[arxcards]

18 hours ago, Relaxing Robbies said:

Our taxi driver taking us to the terminal had never been there before. I had printed out the instructions on how to get there and gave it to him. He had his doubts and kept asking us if we were sure that was where we needed to go. I think he thought that WE had nefarious intentions.

We booked a cab from Alcyone apartments in Portside for our August cruise. Another couple tried to pinch our cab, as it turns out, they had been dropped at Portside by a cab from the airport to the "cruise terminal". Maybe they had the same cab driver. We split the fare to BICT with them.