Best/Worst of Carnival's Ports

[TortieGal]

I am glad to see there are not more BELIZE responses..Belize is a Difficult Cruise port. You are dropped off in Belize City, not the most picturesque places. You need to get out of the city to enjoy this port....

 

I did and loved it so much I moved to San Pedro Belize..

 

I enjoyed Belize...we did the ship's City and Altun Ha tour. My take on why people find it so depressing is that people don't understand that how most of us live here in the US is not the norm for a large majority of the rest of the world. It seems once people get out of their comfort zone, all bets are off.

 

The only thing that upset me was seeing all the stray dogs. I'm a huge animal lover and very involved in animal welfare. But, it inspired me to come home and look into ways I can help. Found a group that does spay/neuter trips there and one day I hope to be able to join up!

[gtalum]

We couldn't stand Ocho Rios. We enjoy learning about the culture, and and the people, and we will do that once in town or on an excursion.

 

 

We have no desire to stop and talk with the those who jump out from a bush or follow us down the street. I've been to many of the Caribbean ports...none have been as bad as Ocho Rios.

 

I'm in no position to judge Ocho Rios for myself, as I haven't been there. I just find that I very often end up loving places that most people seem to dislike more than I like the popular places. Maybe that just says something about my tastes. :D

[capndinghy]

I would have to say my least favorite 2 ports and Montego Bay and Freeport!

[Melismass]

Love Nassau (5 visits) EXCEPT for the straw market -- it was hot, stinky, wet/sticky god-knows-what on the floor, and aggressive vendors; our first tour of Nassau dumped us out in the back of the straw market which required you to walk thru it to get back to the street. TLW and I were both jangled at having aggressive locals in our face. Thanks but we don't want tshirts and cheap crap made in China. Saved our money for the vendors in the port facility (air conditined/indoors/nice steel band playing/food booths in full swing) and nobody was shoving tshirts at us and yelling.

 

I want to love Nassau too! We go there frequently and it seems we will continue to do so ( I sure hope so!) I really don't love it. What is there to do? We have been to Atlantis, and done the Stuarts Cove snorkel with sharks (AWSOME!) of course the straw market ad nausium and ate at the Fish Fry. What do you do there that makes you love it? We will be ther again in February and want to do something fun!

[nothomeonacruise]

My least favorite port was Labadee (in 2005) on the RCCL cruise. The place is beautiful, but we made the mistake of going through the little market. It was awful. The people would practically beg us to buy their things. Then, they would get in a fight with each other if you walked to another stall. I missed being grabbed. I did buy something while there, but I was exhausted when walking out. I've been to many flea markets, and I've never been accosted by merchants to that degree. :mad:

 

My favorite ports are Half Moon Cay and St. Thomas! :)

[wadethegringo]

I enjoyed Belize...we did the ship's City and Altun Ha tour. My take on why people find it so depressing is that people don't understand that how most of us live here in the US is not the norm for a large majority of the rest of the world. It seems once people get out of their comfort zone, all bets are off.

 

The only thing that upset me was seeing all the stray dogs. I'm a huge animal lover and very involved in animal welfare. But, it inspired me to come home and look into ways I can help. Found a group that does spay/neuter trips there and one day I hope to be able to join up!

Here in San Pedro the organization is S A G A...A lot of my friends are involved in this organization...

[elcuchio24]

Suprised there aren't more votes for HMC? Nothing for culture, but what a beautiful, relaxing port. Also love Roatan. Least fav is probably Nassau, just a wasted stop as far as I'm concerned....

[paulandfran]

couldn't agree with you more. esp. the last part. don't think i have ever felt unsafe or scared in any of the countries i have been to. awareness is the key.

 

Feeling scared does not mean you are unsafe and by the same token feeling safe and without fear does not mean you ARE safe. Feelings are just that. FEELINGS. And while awareness can help it also does not guarantee safety. But having said that if I feel unsafe I'm not going to have a great time so I would go with my gut and avoid places that feel unsafe.

 

To me Jamaica is more annoying than unsafe. The thing I don't like about Jamaica is that the locals will grab your arm and pull you toward their taxi or toward a craft stand. They don't mean any harm they are simply trying to get your business. But I hate that tactic and won't hire them to drive me or buy anything from anyone who grabs me. What we do is hire a cab and go to an all inclusive when we visit Jamaica. I already did Dunn's River Falls and some rafting excursions on other trips so now I just head to an AI and veg out on a beach and that makes Jamaica a fine port stop to me although not a favorite.

 

St. Thomas is still a favorite and Nassua is my least favorite simply because I've been there dozens of times.

[yogimax]

Best - Key West

 

Worst - Belize

[chachi]

My favorite Caribbean port is St. Kitts with a close second to Dominica. My least favorite is Nassau. Unfortunately I keep ending up in Nassau. It is on a lot of itineraries. Even though I don't like it, I always find something fun to do. I just always book an excursion.

[LiLBxQt]

My favorite Caribbean port is St. Kitts with a close second to Dominica. My least favorite is Nassau. Unfortunately I keep ending up in Nassau. It is on a lot of itineraries. Even though I don't like it, I always find something fun to do. I just always book an excursion.

 

 

Never been to st kitts (but its on my to do list!) ... and i agree with you, i LOVED dominica, prob bc its caribbean but least like caribbean... I also love the hiking, natural beauty aspect of it

[macsdad4]

The Calica Mine Pit is the worst port ever. I dare anyone to find a worse port than docking at a commercial gravel mine pit

 

 

I agree whole heartedly!! This place is just a wasted whole in the wall. Why can't Playa Del Carmen get a port or a at least a dock to tender to?

[gtalum]

Why can't Playa Del Carmen get a port or a at least a dock to tender to?

 

They have one. Carnival doesn't want to pay to tender there. ;)

[marshhawk]

My least favorite ports are the one where they make me leave the ship, and the one I havn't seen yet. They are not home which makes me love them all the more. I really liked Nassau, when we were on the excursion(Blackbeards Island) but the town of, the people harping to braid hair, sell stuff, no that is not me. I t seems from most responses I've read the people like ports where they can be left alone to explore without harrassement. Like home. Where we can ask if we nned to, but just want to enjoy where we are with as little human contact as possible. I am looking forward to my next Nassau trip with Key West, and maybe next time go to one of the private islands where I can just "be."

[tnincy]

Feeling scared does not mean you are unsafe and by the same token feeling safe and without fear does not mean you ARE safe. Feelings are just that. FEELINGS. And while awareness can help it also does not guarantee safety. But having said that if I feel unsafe I'm not going to have a great time so I would go with my gut and avoid places that feel unsafe.

 

To me Jamaica is more annoying than unsafe. The thing I don't like about Jamaica is that the locals will grab your arm and pull you toward their taxi or toward a craft stand. They don't mean any harm they are simply trying to get your business. But I hate that tactic and won't hire them to drive me or buy anything from anyone who grabs me. What we do is hire a cab and go to an all inclusive when we visit Jamaica. I already did Dunn's River Falls and some rafting excursions on other trips so now I just head to an AI and veg out on a beach and that makes Jamaica a fine port stop to me although not a favorite.

 

St. Thomas is still a favorite and Nassua is my least favorite simply because I've been there dozens of times.

 

agree with you completely. they are feelings and if you feel that way then one shouldn't venture out. you will worry and not have a good time. bottom line is your not ever "safe" anywhere. anything can happen at anytime under the best of scenarios.:o

 

as for the sales tactics, they are like that everywhere. however, i have never had anyone grab, pull or fight over my business. guess i have been lucky. that or my 6 ft 5 husband deters them from approaching. :) i too don't buy or hire from these sorts of people. not good to encourage this aggresive behavior. and i can see why people are uncomfortable.

 

st thomas is one of my favs as well. was married at blue beards beach.:D

[Upandadam]

They have one. Carnival doesn't want to pay to tender there. ;)

 

And it's really too bad that Carnival doesn't stop at Playa del Carmen. Very interesting port with some of the most beautiful beaches and water.

 

Might be worth a water taxi over from Cozumel for some.

[cuted126]

The problem (and I don't mean to sound insulting) is that most Americans are completely unexposed to conditions outside of the US. Anything that differs from the suburban norm seems scary if you've never really lived in or experienced anything else.

 

The people who live in these places can sense this, as it's quite plain to see. They know who can be manipulated and intimidated and they know who can't (ie, tourists vs travelers). When they sense that you respect them and are interested in them personally and in their culture, they'll be welcoming, forthcoming, and friendly. When they sense that you're afraid or dismissive of them, they'll return the favor by trying to separate you from your cash and move on.

 

One of the prices we pay, as Americans, for our relative prosperity is a disconnection from the rest of the world. I don't know why Europeans, who are also relatively prosperous, don't suffer from the same condition, but I suspect it's because they are generally exposed to a lot more different cultures and practices (even if they're not from poor nations) simply due to geography.

 

The gist of what I'm trying to say is to go out there with an open mind but be wary, as you would anywhere unfamiliar. You might be surprised at what you find, especially in places about which most people have only bad things to say.

 

I totally agree with this!

 

Best for me is Half Moon Cay!

Worst -Freeport

[paulandfran]

agree with you completely. they are feelings and if you feel that way then one shouldn't venture out. you will worry and not have a good time. bottom line is your not ever "safe" anywhere. anything can happen at anytime under the best of scenarios.:o

 

as for the sales tactics, they are like that everywhere. however, i have never had anyone grab, pull or fight over my business. guess i have been lucky. that or my 6 ft 5 husband deters them from approaching. :) i too don't buy or hire from these sorts of people. not good to encourage this aggresive behavior. and i can see why people are uncomfortable.

 

st thomas is one of my favs as well. was married at blue beards beach.:D

 

I don't agree that if you have feelings of fear that you can't venture out but on vacation I prefer to feel safe. I challenge myself with adventure and activities that are outside my comfort zone while in a location that has a reputation of being safe and feels safe.

 

And I seriously doubt Jamaicans will be intimidated by your 6 foot 5 husband because they don't see grabbing your arm as aggression. As much as I don't like it I recognize it for what it is. A zealousness to make some money off you during the limited amount of time your ship is in port.

[tnincy]

 

And I seriously doubt Jamaicans will be intimidated by your 6 foot 5 husband because they don't see grabbing your arm as aggression. As much as I don't like it I recognize it for what it is. A zealousness to make some money off you during the limited amount of time your ship is in port.

 

spent 7 days in jamaica and had no problems with vendors bothering us. while they all want to sell you something, we simply said no thank you or not interested. and i completely understand that all they want is our money. these countries #1 industry is tourism.

 

the height thing was really a joke. i have never had problems like some have.

[paulandfran]

spent 7 days in jamaica and had no problems with vendors bothering us. while they all want to sell you something, we simply said no thank you or not interested. and i completely understand that all they want is our money. these countries #1 industry is tourism.

 

the height thing was really a joke. i have never had problems like some have.

 

I would guess those 7 days weren't spent right outside of the gates where the ships let passengers out then. When we do land vacations to Jamaica it's a whole different experience than getting off the ship in a port there. Like night and day. The first time I cruised there I had already been there many times on land vacations and as we were getting off the ship others were getting back on saying "don't bother getting off, it's horrible" and I'm like how can it be horrible. Then I walked into the mob and realized what they were talking about. I was grabbed dozens of times until I finally got in a cab and got away from the madness. The situation has improved in Ocho Rios now though. You can pretty much avoid the chaos if you go directly to a cab and don't go outside the gates first.

[markstudy]

Best - Aruba, Bonaire, Roatan, Dominica

 

Worst - Freeport and Nassau

 

There is so much to do in the Bahamas but when your ship pulls in at 11:30 and leave at 5:00 we couldn't get to any of our favorite places. Everything we wanted to book privately left at 10:00 or 2:00 :mad: It ends up being a frustrating waste of a day because of the schedule.

[blondestickchick]

I'm with one of the previous posters....Do the Western Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel, Belize, Isla Roatan and Costa Maya. I'm "revisiting" this itinerary in just a few days.

 

Don't always choose the most popular tour and relax...it's a cruise and a vacation; there really are no bad ports!! Well, except the one where you have to leave the ship....to go back home...and then to work.

[tnincy]

I would guess those 7 days weren't spent right outside of the gates where the ships let passengers out then. When we do land vacations to Jamaica it's a whole different experience than getting off the ship in a port there. Like night and day.

 

 

no, not near the port. we did tour parts of the country, dunns river and several other excursions that led us to places where most tourist don't go. ran into some children along the way who had never seen white people.

[crewsweeper]

For those keeping score, through 69 posts:

 

Least Favorite

Ocho Rios-7 (offset by 2 favorites)

Nassau-6 (offset by 2 favorites)

Freeport-5 (offset by 1 favorite)

Progresso-3

Belize-2

Calicia-2 (offset by 2 favorities)

Cozumel-2 (offset by 2 favorites)

Montego Bay-2

Single Mentions--

St Thomas

Martinique

Panama

Excluded:

Ensenada(not a Caribbean port)

Labadee(not a Carnvial port)

 

Most Liked:

St Thomas-8 (offset by 1 least fav)

Half Moon Cay-5

Roatan-4

Grand Cayman-3

Dominica-2

Two or more likes offset by least favs:

Belize -3 (offset by 2 least favs)

Ocho Rios -2 (offset by 7 least favs)

Calicia -2 (offset by 2 least favs)

Nassau -2 (offset by 2 least favs)

Cozumel -2 (offset by 2 least favs)

Freeport- 1 (offset by 5 least favs)

Also Mentioned as being a favorite:

Aruba

Barbados

Key West

St Kitts

Tortola

[MzOhioLady]

Here's my response.

 

Best - HMC, Roatan and St. Thomas

 

Worse - Martinique and Belize

 

I've been to Jamaica twice, once to Montego Bay and once to Ocho Rios. I really enjoyed both places a great deal. Yes, I was asked to buy some of the merchants' goods, but a stern No Thank You and that was it. I just moved on and they left me alone. No biggie! I would go back in a heart beat.