Ports of Call DVDs

[DiannaInVA]

Has anyone ever bought them? I saw the ad in Cruise Travel mag and portvideos.com but I hesitate to buy one since I'm not sure if they will be worth it. I will be going to the Western Carribean in Sept and wanted to learn some more about it and they have a DVD with those destinations.

[Nitra]

With all the information available on the internet for free, I would not buy them. Check and see if your local library has some videos you can check out if you want to go that route.

[Cuizer2]

Yes, I own a set. They are not very helpful in my opinion. Granted, all the cities are near the ocean, so they have port. But the information provided would be just as useful for someone who was flying in. It has been awhile since I looked at mine, but as I recall, the information was so general, as to be useless for someone who has a cruise planned. Might be okay if you don't have the cruise planned, and want to see what might interest you. But once the cruise was planned, it lacks the specific information you would need.

 

For example, suppose I told you that in Orlando there is Disneyworld, Universal Studios, Wet & Wild, Discovery Cove, Sea World ... Okay, so now you are interested in going to Orlando. So now what do you do? I have not given you much information for planning your stay in Orlando. Add some overhead shots and now you have as much info as the discs provide.

 

I have a set of six discs. Each one has a different area and each shows ten ports (if I recall correctly). Each shows about 10 - 12 minutes of things in each port. As far as a cruise goes, sometimes the overhead of the harbor shows a cruise ship at the dock. Have you ever seen the Travel Channel's 10 best whatever (beaches, hotels, resorts ...). It is very similar. some info about something in the port city, but not much help once you are interested and want to book something. And lets face it, if you are arriving by ship, knowing the best hotels and restaurants is of limited value.

 

I paid $40 for mine about three years ago. For $40 it is okay. Last I saw it it was $60. No way would I pay $60 for it. If you want to show your kids the four ports you are going to visit, great. If you want to show your neighbors the four ports you did visit - not so good. Looking to spend a few thousand on a cruise, and cannot decide where to go - then it is okay. Already booked and looking for what to do - not so good.

 

Are you dieing to see the port before you visit? Then buy the discs. Want to know something about the ports to plan your visit? Buy a good travel guide or book.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Does Netflix have these DVDs? If you are a member of Netflix, it might be worthwhile to order one or twp of the DVs and see waht you think about them.

[DiannaInVA]

I have a set of six discs. Each one has a different area and each shows ten ports (if I recall correctly). Each shows about 10 - 12 minutes of things in each port. As far as a cruise goes, sometimes the overhead of the harbor shows a cruise ship at the dock. Have you ever seen the Travel Channel's 10 best whatever (beaches, hotels, resorts ...). It is very similar.

 

Ah, thanks! I figured that might be what they were like. They had so many ports per DVD, I couldn't imagine they could go into much detail. I guess I'll have to wait until Samantha Brown does a series on the Caribbean like she did for Europe. :)