Least favorite port of call

[MaiTaiMary]

spin-off from the other thread....

 

What is your least favorite Carnival port of call you've visited and why? :D

[UpstateCruizer]

spin-off from the other thread....

 

What is your least favorite Carnival port of call you've visited and why? :D

 

Belize...I felt like our options were limited unless we booked an excursion. We ended up booking the beach break through Carnival which meant we'd tender over to the island directly from the ship. The ride over was rough and almost an excursion itself. The tendering from the ship to the city would have been a much longer ride and we were advised to stay within the fenced area if we didn't have an excursion booked.

 

If they do build a port here that would probably change how I feel about Belize in that we could walk off the ship and explore the area a bit more.

[murcielago]

Key West and Ocho Rios are tied

[amistad]

Montego Bay, even though it is pretty there and interesting, I don't like the constant pressure to buy something and they actually tried to put marijuana in our hands with police officers standing right there. I wish they would change since so many ships go to Jamaica. At least in Ocho Rios they have a little better security. I feel like in Jamaica you need to stay with an excursion in order to feel safe.

[matj2000]

Nassau & Cozumel......... Only because I have been there too many times..

[eponym]

Ensenada. Nothing interesting enough for me and my style/ preferences.

 

spin-off from the other thread....

 

What is your least favorite Carnival port of call you've visited and why? :D

[WishIwasOutThereNOW]

belize - too much 3rd world. i dont want to see all that while i'm on vacation. i feel like it would be real easy to get ones head cut clean off down there.

 

cozumel - i don't like to be hussled. "o senior, i have the best price..come in here..i know your too dumb to realize all of this is crap". seems like that to me. they dont realize that all the hussles they try are old and all used up in the states. they should at least be original.

[firefly333]

Bahamas by far, brown and ugly. Not much to do. Freeport is the bottom, then Nassau.

 

I didnt have a very good excursion in Belize, we toured the city and I was bored to death, but some who got out into the coutry side said they loved it, so Im withholding judgement on this port and will try a different excursion. The city was scary, must be lots of thieves the way they have bars over windows.

[cv322]

St.John, New Brunswick in Canada....it's charming but there's absolutely nothing to do!

 

Conversely I LOVE Cozumel and Belize. And Key West...but the stop there is never long enough so we often do land vacations there & stay at the Ambrosia House for 7-10 days. :D.

[Bobbareeno]

Hands down any stop in Jamaica. We've been to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay and didn't care for either. As it's been said before, too many high pressure druggies trying to pressure you into buying their drugs. The only advice I have for anyone going there is to book an excursion. We went to Appleton Rum Farm and had fun. But I'd advise against any walking around in the shopping areas outside of the cruise terminal unless you want to constantly be asked if you want any drugs. Right now I don't even look at cruises with stops in Jamaica because of it.

[zqvol]

spin-off from the other thread....

 

What is your least favorite Carnival port of call you've visited and why? :D

 

Cozumel . . . It is dumpy and very nasty smelling. The beaches at best can be described as so so and all of the armed police give a sense that it is really unsafe.

[KroozFoolz]

It changes from cruise to cruise, but it is always the last one we stop at and they make us leave the ship with all our belongings! :eek:

Then we have to go home and book another cruise! :D

[WishIwasOutThereNOW]

It changes from cruise to cruise, but it is always the last one we stop at and they make us leave the ship with all our belongings! :eek:

Then we have to go home and book another cruise! :D

 

 

post of the year. drinks on me.

[Brute Bandit]

Progresso is the worst for me... We went there right after Costa Maya was closed. Not happy about be there to begin with. Took the city tour just to get an idea about the city. There were utility lines hanging so low that the tour bus operator had to hold them up for the bus to go under. Most of the locals could not speak english. I realize we are in their country but Carnival should have thought about this before sending 3,000 tourists into the city. Basically, if you go there you almost have to book an excursion into Merida... lessons learned.

[BrendaB1]

Grand Cayman. Too expensive & only so much to see & do. How many times can you do stingrays, turtle farm & the beach?

[CorbinCatFan]

Freeport is my least favorite. We've been twice and both times I have been underwhelmed with the place. Of course, it could have been our excursions.

 

First, the port is too industrial for me. The first excursion we went to was a 'garden tour', casino, and beach at Port Lycan in July. First, the gardens were just wacky, hot, and humid. The free rum punch at the casino was weak, and the beach was none existence. (However, the DW did find a gold necklace to buy there.)

 

The taxi from the port to Port Lycan didn't make me want to explore this port.

[Pjnc]

Freeport ( if ever on a ship with that stop again will stay on the ship)

 

Montego Bay ( very pushy did not feel safe even on an excursion to Dunns River Falls) ( probably would stay on the ship if there ever again)

 

Would not book any cruise with either of the stops on them again unless there was another port that I just had to go to in the itinerary.

 

pjnc

[gaylebd]

Colon Panama.

 

Depressing. Very third world.

 

We made the mistake of trying to do something on our own - cab driver dropped us off and never came back when he was supposed to - very scary trying to get a taxi.

 

I would advise to Cruise THROUGH the Canal - but if you are stopping here - please use Carnival excursions

[tess2cruz]

Grand Cayman. Too expensive & only so much to see & do. How many times can you do stingrays, turtle farm & the beach?

 

100,000,000 times :D

[dznymom]

Ocho Rios. It's the only port where I ever felt uncomfortable. Even Dunns Falls was a big disappointment when we were all but tethered together and dragged up the falls. It didn't help that my water shoes (purchased in port) disintegrated during the climb sending chunks of rubber bouncing down the falls. By the time we reached the midpoint, I had no soles and just the tops flapping around my ankles :p What a ripoff!!

 

I love Belize and one of my favorite days was in Progresso. I am pretty easy to please for the most part, and find something to like about every port except Ocho Rios. I have avoided itineraries that stop there, but I imagine one of these days I will find myself back there and will give it another chance.

[wrighka]

Nassau, then Jamaica.....dirty, pushy, and if you go there in February, (Nassau) the weather is cold!!!!! I'm leaving the cold to be warm, not cold! :mad:

[smurfm69]

i would have to agree with everyone else about Jamaica. Enjoyed Dunns River Falls, but not the gauntlet of extra pushy sales people at the end. I wouldn't think of going into town alone. If I go back, I would do a planned excursion or one of the all day deals at a resort.

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

Belize: 3rd world country, filthy

 

Progresso: Nothing there, must take an excursion hours away

 

Dominican Republic: Not much to do other than a beach 30 minutes away

 

Freeport: Again not much to do

 

Colon Panama: Although we enjoyed the panama canal tour other than that what else is there? The countryside in strewn with garbage all over the place.

 

Nassau: Been there so many times we don't even bother getting off the ship anymore

[dumbwaiterboy]

I would have to say Freeport. There were never any excursions that we wanted to do and saw no point in taking the taxi to teh other side of the island to shop so we hung out at the little cruise terminal starw market for 20 minutes then reboarded.

 

However, any bad port is better than a day at home!

[dumbwaiterboy]

Also, I LOVED Belize, but I agree about taking an excursion. We did one that talked about Indiana Jones in the description. GREAT TIME.