Tattoos While In Port

I have a question for anyone who has gotten a tattoo in port. What port and was it done well/ what did you get?

I think this would be fun!

I would not trust getting tattoos in a foreign port. Too much can go wrong

Buy a souvenir instead.

I wouldn't get a tat at home unless I made enquiries about the parlour first.

Wait til you get home to get a tattoo. Too many things can go wrong and will ruin your vacation!

Karen

.....and never get one in a foreign language

http://kotaku.com/why-you-shouldnt-get-chinese-script-tattoos-if-you-ca-1037896584

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3081673/Oy-vey-Clueless-soldier-s-giant-Hebrew-tattoo-thought-meant-strength-really-stands-MATZO.html

Ask me about my back words Asian tattoo I got on my neck in mazatlan..... get error done in the usa....

Why?

I mean, do you just not have an artist back home that you like?

Do you want to have to walk around with an open wound for a few days while avoiding the sun and water?

Do you just wanna pick some piece of flash out of a book?

Get a t-shirt instead.

I have a question for anyone who has gotten a tattoo in port. What port and was it done well/ what did you get?

I think this would be fun!

I can think of a lot more fun things to do in a port of call.

Also remember...once you get it, you won't be able to get back in the water.

No sun no water for two weeks....in the middle of a cruise? Also, I would only get a tattoo at home where I know my artist and shop.

I'm not talking about a big art piece, more of a fun memory.... But it seems not many people see it the way I do lol

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Getting an essentially non-removable bit of body art is one thing. Having it done where you have no way of knowing about the cleanliness, or even the talent, of the "artist" is another. Doing it on a cruise when swimming and sunning might be off the table for a while is a third.

Seeking advice from strangers on a site like this is a fourth.

But, since you ask, I would only suggest that you put the question to friends/family at home who know you and presumably care about you.

I'm not talking about a big art piece, more of a fun memory.... But it seems not many people see it the way I do lol

 

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Well only one response was from someone who actually got one while out of the country and unfortunately their answer was not in support of the idea due to an error made with the tattoo.

The rest of us were offering what seems like sincere opinions and advice regarding what you should consider in terms of getting one done in a foreign port of call while on a cruise. Sorry if that isn't what you hoped for, but perhaps if you wait long enough someone will respond with the answer you want to hear. :rolleyes:

BTW just curious - as most itineraries have several ports of call, how many "fun memories" would you plan to get?

I'm not talking about a big art piece, more of a fun memory.... But it seems not many people see it the way I do lol

 

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You can/used to be able to get henna tattoos at various ports.

No needles or ink and they last 7-10 days.

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I just think:"Ouch"!

On a busy cruise ship, it's inevitable that someone will accidentally walk into you/bump into your table/knock you as they pass by in the theatre rows... save it for home!

I'm not talking about a big art piece, more of a fun memory.... But it seems not many people see it the way I do lol

 

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Sorry, but the possibility of tetanus would not be a "fun memory". As others have suggested, get a souvenir t-shirt while in port. If you absolutely must have ink put on your skin, buy a felt tip marker (aka Sharpie) and have your travel mate write something "fun" on you.

Not a good idea, too much can go wrong and then there is the healing time.

Also remember...once you get it, you won't be able to get back in the water.

And you won't be able to return it either! :p

Gulp..... Al ll I can iagine is huge regret............ or " Re Gert" per the ad curently running on TV. Thoough I make a lot of typos, mine are not permanently painted on someone's body. :eek:.

And you won't be able to return it either! :p

However, as we have often been told on other threads, I suppose OP could take the tat to a hometown parlor and find that it is worth three times what she paid for it.

I wouldn't. And I have tattoos. You can't swim and sun after getting inked. (If I'm in an area with a warm ocean, I am swimming!) And you have no idea what that shop's licensing requirements are, if there are any requirements.

I regularly bring ideas to my lcoal artist.

I have a question for anyone who has gotten a tattoo in port. What port and was it done well/ what did you get?

 

I think this would be fun!

So old thread, but just stumbled across it. I actually *did* get a tattoo in port, but at the end of my cruise. Was in Barcelona, had been there before and researched the place/looked for reviews. Small wrist piece to commemorate my first big solo vacation.

1) People bring up good points re: protecting ink from water/sun.

2) Obviously don’t get a tattoo if shop conditions are crazy unsanitary - but this applies anywhere. Not every port is a third world country.

3) If you’ve never gotten a tattoo before, a cruise is not the best time to experiment.

4) Don’t go for anything complicated that’ll take hours.

5) Google is your friend. Lots of shops in international cities have websites, are on Yelp, etc.

I’ve seen tourists get tattoos in Vegas, Hawaii, etc. Same rules apply.

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So old thread, but just stumbled across it. I actually *did* get a tattoo in port, but at the end of my cruise. Was in Barcelona, had been there before and researched the place/looked for reviews. Small wrist piece to commemorate my first big solo vacation.

Oddly enough we just discovered last week that one of our favourite waitrons had gotten inked while on a long vaycay to Europe - her and her BF got a new tat in every country (6 in all). They planned to do it, researched potential places, all were in large cities with appropriate safety standards, they both already had tats and they were city & countryside touring and not hitting beaches so minimal inconvenience and they knew how to treat their fresh ink. However because they were playing fast & loose with exact dates and routes they could not actually book anywhere except the first and last spots.

So for OP or others considering, depending where you're going and if you put thought and research into it up-front, safety concerns can be minimal (indeed, often standards in the US and Canada lag behind those of the EU for example). But good tattoo artists are booked up weeks or months in advance, so pretty much by definition any shop you can walk into and sit down to be inked in is going to be on the lower end of the local quality scale - small and simple rather than challenging would be the way to go!

Example - our waitron's worked out very well as she went for a single tattoo, a geometric framework of 'honeycomb' shapes with art inside each space to remind her of each place, much like roadsigns in their simplicity and clarity. It actually looks like it was completed as a single piece, since the designs were straightforward - almost a 'charm bracelet' vibe of one overall piece with the added things remaining harmonious, which I thought was both an excellent idea and practical as any competent artist would be able to match the style. Plus, they were all small enough that they would not take much time in the chair. His were the total opposite - all in very different styles, so even though a couple were on the exact same theme they were totally different, larger pieces with lots of detail that meant he had to take at least an entire afternoon or morning out to get most of them done, and even at a glance the quality was variable across the pieces.