A never to be repeated cruise

[ibfern]

I have seen many comments regarding Jamaica... What is it about Jamaica that makes you not want to return?

 

Jamaica must be very different from the place I visited on my Honeymoon in 1980 because we really love it a lot. We were not on a cruise (to be fair) but we stayed at an all inclusive resort called Couples which was very nice. There was lots of Rastas and we loved the music, everything added to the feeling of being in Jamaica. ;)

 

I suspect it is still a nice place to visit when you get away from the ports, but not so much fun for a day stop from a ship, especially compared to other Islands in the Carib. I've never cruised there but I will at some point, I've been to Acapulco twice and nothing could be as bad as that place!

[GlendaleCruiser]

I have seen many comments regarding Jamaica... What is it about Jamaica that makes you not want to return?

We docked in Montego Bay, but 3 months before our cruise robbers tried to rob a cruise ship excursion. Security guards shot the robbers and one died. On our excursion, we had an armed guard. I was repelled by the gang of guys outside of Dunn's River Falls trying to sell everyone ganga (Marijuana). When we stopped for lunch I noticed on one side of the road a billion dollar resort and on the other side of the road a shack with a tin roof. Next to it was a house that not only had bars on the windows but bars closing in the front porch! I figured if crime is so bad that you can't sit on your porch then I don't want to spend any time there.

 

I think the place is ripe for revolution.

 

I would love to do the Western Caribbean again and will, but I won't get off the ship in Jamaica.

[mitsugirly]

I will never go back to Jamaica. I had a 1) scary experience there at the beach and 2) was conned by a local taxi driver which 3) took me for a pretty wild ride. Never again! If I picked a ship that Jamaica was on the itinerary, I would pick a different ship.

[Taxguy77]

Jamaica must be very different from the place I visited on my Honeymoon in 1980 because we really love it a lot. We were not on a cruise (to be fair) but we stayed at an all inclusive resort called Couples which was very nice. There was lots of Rastas and we loved the music, everything added to the feeling of being in Jamaica. ;)

 

I suspect it is still a nice place to visit when you get away from the ports, but not so much fun for a day stop from a ship, especially compared to other Islands in the Carib. I've never cruised there but I will at some point, I've been to Acapulco twice and nothing could be as bad as that place!

 

There is an enormous difference in the last 30 years. It used to be OK, but now:(

 

Spent 3 days in Acapulco, not my favorite place in Mexico, more like 99th favorite!!

[dustyroad]

new england/canada on the carnival victory. i cant place whether is was the ship or itinerary but it didnt impress me. i am a avid carnival lover but it is my least liked cruise so far.

[cruisin'momma09]

Thanks for all the replies! Would it be safer/less hassle to do a cruise excursion or should I just skip the port entirely?!

[paul929207]

It is usually safer an dless hassle to take a ships tour.

 

It is also usually more expensive, more crowded and you see what someone else thinks the group wants to see.

[Aquahound]

I've been to Acapulco twice and nothing could be as bad as that place!

 

Agreed. Acapulco is, by far, my least favorite port in terms of safety and cleanliness.

 

Acapulco = Never Again!

[Taxguy77]

Pretty much any and all Caribbean cruise. Actually the cruise lines try to keep it a secret but all Caribbean cruises only visit one island. At the end of the day the ship sails off shore so the casino can open. During this time the local residents change all of the signage in the towns to reflect a different Island and in the morning the ship sails back into the same port and the passengers think they are on a different island. With every island having the same Indian run Jewelry shops and the same bars, the same tours etc. Who would really know!

 

We sailed AZ when the line began. Small ships to small islands. Boy were they small!:p Most of them were 80% National Park, and 20% jungle. They may have just been another bay on the other side of the island. :rolleyes:

[Taxguy77]

My most recent cruise was a TA - I love the relaxing days at sea and in fact I've booked another in May.

 

HOWEVER,

 

The Ship I sailed, NCL Epic, is one ship I'll never sail again. Newest isn't always the nicest.

When my wife and I spend so many days at sea we want to be on a cruise ship that is comfortable and relaxing, 2 things that the Epic most certainly isn't. While mine wasn't a nightmare by any stretch I have to admit with so many alternative lines I doubt I'll sail them again.

 

We did the same in 2001, also on NCL. Was about our 5th cruise on NCL and the last.

[imsulin]

This is just my personal opinion, but....here goes: In the late 70's and early 80's, there were FEW cruise ships doing Mexico and the Caribbean. They were very popular, but not cheap! At that time, the islands were absolutely beautiful! Jamaica had just won independence from Britain in 1969 (I think?), and even in the late 70's-early 80's, it was very safe. Sandals Corp. built a number of all-inclusive resorts there in the late 70's-mid-80's, and they were awesome! Club Med was the first to introduce the "all-inclusive" concept. Sandals Resorts in Jamaica were very, very popular! I worked as a TA from 1999-2003, and Sandals Resorts were "all the rage". So were Couples, Grand Lido, Breezes....etc. I remember my first cruises to the Mexican Riviera (Pacific Princess in the late 70's) and my first cruises to the Caribbean in the mid-80's. Beautiful!! There was absolutely NO concern about safety at the time. Progressing forward, I was able to see the deterioration of islands like Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas/St. John, St. Maarten/Martin, Jamaica, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. This happened because cruise lines which formerly had just a few ships, began competing with each other by refurbishing older ships and building new ships. The search was on for newer and more affordable port stops, while still maintaining the old ones. Some new ones lasted, while others didn't.

But, new mega ships continued to be built, bringing in thousands and thousands of passengers every week. The islanders - of course - took advantage of this because it was all about making money! Which they never really had. Drugs make money, and you can find them on every itinerary I've listed. Competition between store owners, taxi/van drivers, beach vendors, street vendors, and government officials slowly began to be corrupted. East Indians/Pakistanis took over the jewelry markets (just stating what I've seen since the late 80's). Locals were reduced to pushing store flyers onto cruise passengers who walked down streets. Taxi driver brawls became common, while cruisers were just trying to get to or from a beach. I've witnessed the deterioration of lovely jewel islands which will probably never be the same. It's my personal opinion that the new mega ship lines don't even want you to get off the ship, because they can offer wonderful amenities onboard! The Caribbean/Mexican traditional ports have left bitter tastes in mouths like mine. I think it's because cruise lines built too many ships too quickly. I'm glad I was able to enjoy the islands (and many other Caribbean islands off the cruise ship itinerary) back in the glory days! It will never be the same. That's my opinion!

[griffy116]

We have avoided Alaska. I'm sure the scenery is beautiful but for me, I don't want to go anywhere that's cold.Vacation and layerin clothing just don't mix,putting on a jacket or hooded sweatshirt to enjoy the balcony would make me sad. Jamaica: The waters are beautiful and I enjoy looking at them while on the pool deck. We've been to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay twice each and have really tried to enjoy, but there is no place and no way to avoid the harrassment once you step outside the fence around the port. We went to Dominica this past year. We walked around town and decided this was a waste and we would never want to go to Dominica again. Son-in-law went on a dive trip and said he could have entire week diving and never gotten tired. He said it was one of his favorites and he's been on diving trips in almost all the top dives. Our fellow passengers raved about their excursions that took them away from the town area where we docked. We decided our failure to book an excursion is what caused us to not give this island a chance. I love the Cayman Islands and some people don't care for it at all. I guess that's why there are so many options. I'd like to take a cruise to Bermuda but it's never worked out.

[Happy ks]

I think pretty much any port stop where all you do is get off and walk around to shop s a waste of travel time. Get off the ship, go and explore!

 

Even as much as we detest Ensenada, if you go on an excursion getting out of town, the scenery can be lovely. It's even like that in Alaska ports, if you stay in town all you get is the same old tourist souvenirs and bars...boring.

 

I would go to Alaska again, but would prefer a much smaller ship, more like a 100-200 passebger vessel that can get up close and personal with the shore. At the very least, if we did go on a cruise again to Alaska, a one way northbound and a land stay of a few days.

 

But our number one choice for not wanting to repeat again would be the Mexican Riviera. We do enjoy Cabo and Puerto Vallarta, would stay on the ship if we were ever again in Maz. We've been on this itinerary 3 times now, enough to know that our vacation dollars are better spent elsewhere.

[Djonemore]

I love the Caribbean, however I didn't like Belize and just recently Bahamas. The Bahamas was over crowded last time I went, there was vendors on the beach fighting over who sold me an hour on a wave runner, I was afraid if I went with one the other would come cut me off in the water... Kinda scary to be honest.:eek:

[ailuro]

We tend not to go back to places we've been to before, with the exception of places closer to home (like other cities less than 100 miles away for a quick trip)

 

We've only done one cruise, it was Alaska, and while I would go back to Alaska I'd not repeat the same itinerary.

 

We didn't get to see grizzlies because our excursion got cancelled, which means we have a great excuse to return to this part of the world again - did land trips in Vancouver/Whistler/across to the Rockies and simply love the general area - but there's a lot of different things to appreciate than going back and doing the same things over again.

 

Maybe once we've retired and have more vacation time we'll change our tune and revisit places. At 40 yo with an 11 yo with us we like to mix things up a bit more and seek new experiences.

 

So, I'd go back to Alaska, but might do a land tour next time rather than cruising it, just to get a different perspective. We did like cruising and felt very lucky to be able to do it, but it costs a lot of money to come all the way from Scotland to only spend a few hours in one particular place and then drink/eat/watch a show in between. The scenery in Alaska felt a lot like Scotland as we sailed along so close to shore, so maybe we weren't as stunned or perhaps mesmerised by it as some folks from a more arrid climate would be. Still loved it though:D just as much as I love Scotland.;)

[saharaga]

For us, it's the Bahamas...really, really disappointing.

[goatgoat]

This is amazing! Why do ships still stop in Jamaica? I agree that I have no desire to go there again. Same for Freeport & Nassau (but love the private beaches).

 

I am one of those that wants to cruise for relaxation and pampering. Love that I have paid for most things up front! While I enjoy most ports, sea days are my favorite. Don't want more than 4 ports on a 7-day cruise and 3 would be better. To stay on the ship while in a port we have visited before is a treat for me.

 

While I always say that no cruise is a bad cruise; some are just better than others, my least favorite cruise was to one of my most favorite places: Hawaii. Hawaii is just so wonderful that one day in each port was simply not enough. Of course if I saw a great deal on a cruise to Hawaii tomorrow, I would be all over it!

[zstell]

I don't think there's any place I absolutely would not return to for a day, but some I definitely prefer over others. If I went back to Jamaica, would do the Cool Runnings Catamaran through CCL even though it's more expensive. We've done both through CCL and independent, and with Cool Runnings we went straight from the ship to the catamaran to the falls and back to the ship. We avoided the local vendors, thank goodness!

 

I am actually hoping to sail on the Destiny next May and spend 4 days in Jamaica as a mission project. That place could surely use some help.

 

I don't care much for Nassau or Freeport, but have always found something I can enjoy, there are nice beaches at both. HATE the whole straw market thing, once in a lifetime is plenty.

[rigldbrg]

Jamica, I would stay on the ship and not get off, but I would not let Jamica stop me from taking a particular cruise, I would just stay on board and lay by the pool or in the sanctuary ;)

 

Totally agree! I'm not crazy about St. Marten either and would probably stay on the ship as well. My wife and I kind of like staying on the ship, so a bad port would'nt be a deal breaker. The quiet ship almost becomes like an excursion itself.

[flowerbuyer]

Interesting thread, and I appreciate all the comments because your opinions will help me choose where to NOT cruise!;)

 

I enjoyed our first cruise , which was to Alaska on MS Amsterdam, loved our second cruise on RC Splendour of the Seas in the western Mediterranean, and also loved our first river cruise this year on the Viking Sun, along the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam. Looking forward to our 4th cruise on Sept. 6 on HA MS Eurodam from NY to Quebec City.

 

The river cruises are so different than the ocean cruises on the large ships. I truly enjoyed the more intimate atmosphere on the river cruise.

 

So far, no bad cruises, but after reading the posts, will eliminate Western Caribben, Jamaica, and Mexican Riviera from future cruise destinations.

[operafan]

Interesting thread, and I appreciate all the comments because your opinions will help me choose where to NOT cruise!;)

 

So far, no bad cruises, but after reading the posts, will eliminate Western Caribben, Jamaica, and Mexican Riviera from future cruise destinations.

 

We haven't done the Mexican Riviera but we too avoid the Western Caribbean/Jamaica. Neither is worth getting off the ship........

[srlafleur]

There isn't a single cruise that I'd never go on again. I'll be getting off the ship as long as there are excursions I haven't done and places I haven't seen. If all that's left is the beach (anywhere), I'm likely to avoid that itinerary. I'm pretty much at that point for itineraries to Nassau and St. Thomas.

But I'll never say never...

[read52]

After 8 cruises, I think it would be a couple of ports that we would not do again. Freeport ---nothing much to do, Roatan---we went before mahogany beach and did not feel safe, and Samana, DR----bad experience because it rained most of the day and almost did not get back to ship because electrical pole fell across the road.

 

We loved Labadee and it was our first visit to a private beach. If Mahogany beach is like Labadee than we would try it.

[jaybird from SC]

In defense of touring Alaska....IF you only do the cruise-that narrow strip of coastline--you see very little of Alaska. Try going inland, not just to Denali, but tour as much of the state as you can. Rent a car, drive the Alaska Highway, drive as far as you can. Sometimes that is to the end of the road-often a dirt road. Experience the land, its culture and its people. The coast is great as are the "larger" cities but do go and see the out of the way (way out) places like Chicken and some of the more remote little areas. Go as far North as you're willing to go. Remember that when you're cruising, you're only touching a small portion of a vast area. I'll get off my soapbox now.

[kellyd13]

I would never say never, because if i got a free cruise or an incredilble price you might get me back to the Mexican Riveria, but i would stay on the ship. Been there twice and that is enough. I would however go back to Alaska again and again. We are planning to go again for 30th anniversary next year. We also are looking at a land sea cruise. I guess if you think about a bad day on a cruise is always better than a good day at work.

Kelly