Anyone else getting turned off by the port crowds?

[marco]

As Navybankerteacher mentioned regarding Bermuda. 2 yrs ago we took the "Summit" to Bermuda and docked at Kings Wharf. The NCL "Breakaway" was in port with its 4K plus passengers. LInes, lines and more lines. For buses, cabs, ferry etc etc. It was like being in Times Sq the week before Christmas. We're going again to Bermuda next month, but on the "Veendam". We like both lines a LOT and the "Veendam" was a little more $$$$$, but we chose the "Veendam" because it's the only ship docking in Hamilton. Let alone in the ports...January we sailed out of FLL. 8 ships were leaving that day. It took us just over an hour in the shuttle van from where we parked our car to get to the terminal and it was 1 and 1/2 miles away! The day we returned there were only 2 ships in and it took almost 10 minutes to get to the car park. We left on a weekend on a 12 day cruise, but all of the other ships were leaving on thier "one- weekers"

[OCruisers]

Some ports of call handle a LARGE number of people very well and it's actually normal for them.

Others (like Grand Turk) don't. There's not enough to do there. Everyplace ... no matter where you go is crowded.

[slidergirl]

There has been a similar discussion focusing on Italy over on that forum. Venice is being destroyed, but cruise people won't give up their cruise up the Canal. Cinque Terre used to have maybe a few hundred come into each village, now with multiple ships porting at La Spezia, thousands flood those villages.

Some will book a Caribbean cruise just for quantity "(it's cheaper than a land vacation") and spend the days at the closest beach bar, shopping the same tired chain stores, doing excursions. I've vacationed on some islands and there is an absolute and awful difference in the quality of the island when ships come in and 12,000 people attack.

I don't have to take a cruise to hit a bar and get drunk - I could do that nicely here at home.

[Hlitner]

With some Caribbean ports such as St Thomas, we do think it is an issue. Forty years ago we loved going to St Thomas and enjoying the quaint shopping in town, but now, most of the cute shops have been replaced by cruise line oriented stores (i.e. Diamonds International, Tanzanite International, etc). Charlotte Amalie has traffic jams like NYC....the popular beaches are crowded. etc. But a few Caribbean Ports such as St Maarten handle the crowds fine, and its not so much of an issue in most European ports (except in some Italian ports). As to the crowds ashore, this is a choice of the cruiser. If you choose to take ship excursions or private tours to the usual places, you will be dealing with crowds. On the other hand, for those of us who travel independent, we simply go to places not normally visited by major tours...or time our visits to avoid most tours. A good example with be the islands of Ischia and Procida...which are accessible from Naples. You will seldom find any tour on these islands. In many ports we love to rent a car and drive to places not generally over run with tour groups.

 

It is not about the cruise ships....but simply where you go. One can do a land trip in Europe and end up at the same places as many cruisers. Or..one can go to places where there are few to no cruisers. Look at most tour brochures and you will find that nearly every tour company takes their charges to the same places. For example, many tour groups will visit the Louvre when in Paris. But few will go to L'Orangerie, the Rodin, of the amazing Marmottan. We have spent months in Paris, yet only visited the Eiffel Tower one time (and will never return), been inside Notre Dame one time, etc. But we can spend a couple of wonderful weeks in that city and not go to a single place that is part of cruise excursions. If you go to Venice and rush off the St Marks Square you will find awful crowds. But there is a lot more the Venice then that one place...which we avoid like the plague during daytime hours.

 

Hank

[easyboy]

We have never been bothered by crowds in port. We seldom use the ship's shore excursion and does the DIY. That way, we are able to go around at our own pace and chosen spot when and where crowds are minimal.

 

 

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[lenquixote66]

My husband and I have been cruising for over 25 years and have been to a lot of ports. We are now seriously considering putting a stop to our cruising. Why? With so many mega-ships in port, the crowds of people can be overwhelming. Traveling independently on land in the US or abroad seems to allow more flexibility and crowd avoidance and can be just as cheap as a cruise. Does anyone else share this opinion?

 

 

I love when there are a lot of ships in port,the more people is my preference.

[slidergirl]

I love when there are a lot of ships in port,the more people is my preference.

 

Would you expand on that? Why do you love it when lots of ships are in port at the same time?

[vacationlover_mn]

The crowds only bug me in places that we've done several times- like Jamaica and Nassau... Next time we'll stay on the ship for them, and enjoy the amenities onboard :)

 

 

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[$hip$hape]

<<< We are now seriously considering putting a stop to our cruising. Why?

With so many mega-ships in port, the crowds of people can be overwhelming. >>>

Does anyone else share this opinion?

 

OP, Reading through your thread, I can't help thinking about the Yogi Berra quote,

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

[iancal]

Absolutely. What a difference in Dubrovnic when hordes of cruisers arrive. We selected those days to rent a car and get out of town. Same for several Greek Islands. We either visit when there are few cruise ships or avoid altogether in favor of other islands.

[zqvol]

My husband and I have been cruising for over 25 years and have been to a lot of ports. We are now seriously considering putting a stop to our cruising. Why? With so many mega-ships in port, the crowds of people can be overwhelming. Traveling independently on land in the US or abroad seems to allow more flexibility and crowd avoidance and can be just as cheap as a cruise. Does anyone else share this opinion?

 

Port crowds are only an issue when a mega ship is there. When ships are not in town the islands are still lovely. St. Thomas is nice even when ships are in town, except in town itself. You just have to get away from the main town to find things like they used to be.

[Sequim88]

Not just the Caribbean either. Some Alaska ports are getting relatively crowded with ship sizes inching up even for that area where smaller ships are the norm. When we visit Juneau in June there will be six ships visiting that day. It will help a little that Norwegian Jewel will leave just after we arrive but still Juneau will be absorbing up to 11,420 passengers into an area with a normal population of about 31,000.

 

Tuesday, June 13

07:00 13:30 AJD - NORWEGIAN JEWEL - 2,376 pass.

07:00 21:30 AS - MILLENNIUM - 2,138 pass.

08:00 21:15 FKL - CORAL PRINCESS - 1,970 pass.

11:00 23:00 ACT - REGATTA - 694 pass.

13:00 21:00 CT - OOSTERDAM - 1,848 pass.

14:00 22:00 AJD - NORWEGIAN PEARL - 2,394 pass.

Last time we went to Juneau was on HAL Veendam with 500 less pax than Oosterdam. On the other hand we will be the only ship in port at Sitka which, with around 9,000 people, would be truly overwhelmed by even two large ships. We try to research our ports and what other ships will be there at the same time but some ports (like Juneau) are always busy with at least four ships at a time.

[Flatbush Flyer]

My husband and I have been cruising for over 25 years and have been to a lot of ports. We are now seriously considering putting a stop to our cruising. Why? With so many mega-ships in port, the crowds of people can be overwhelming. Traveling independently on land in the US or abroad seems to allow more flexibility and crowd avoidance and can be just as cheap as a cruise. Does anyone else share this opinion?

 

 

The larger the ships and the smaller the ports, the more you'll see the hordes. This is particularly the case with that Walmart's parking lot called the Caribbean. But, if that's only as far as you want to travel, there's an easy solution: get a few friends together and consider a crewed yacht charter arranged by a respected charter broker like Ed Hamilton (based in Maine). With options for food, booze and amenities that can mirror the quality of different segments of the cruise industry (mass/premium/luxury), you'll find that (for example, 8 of your group on a 60+ foot catamaran) you can find those perfect little coves and no crowds for a price that is little more than you'd have paid on a cruise ship. And if you do want to head to some popular tourist place like JVD, it'll be just a small dinghy trip from your private anchorage.

 

 

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[JMorris271]

So just whom comprises these masses in ports? I say send them all to Finland so I can enjoy my beach and sidewalk.

[navybankerteacher]

Port crowds are only an issue when a mega ship is there. When ships are not in town the islands are still lovely. St. Thomas is nice even when ships are in town, except in town itself. You just have to get away from the main town to find things like they used to be.

 

"A mega ship" is one thing - but when there are three of them, plus a few lesser ones, ports are simply overwhelmed and lose their character. St. Martin (about 41,000 population) and St. Maarten (about 36,000) -say 77,000 total cannot easily absorb the 20,000 people descending on a busy day, while maintaining much of what makes it worth visiting. Sure, it may be good for the economy, but those 20,000 people just don't get what the island promises. It's not a matter of getting away from the main town - all the interesting/good parts of the island are impacted-- and "...things like they used to be." just are not there when the crowds are.

[Arzeena]

My husband and I have been cruising for over 25 years and have been to a lot of ports. We are now seriously considering putting a stop to our cruising. Why? With so many mega-ships in port, the crowds of people can be overwhelming. Traveling independently on land in the US or abroad seems to allow more flexibility and crowd avoidance and can be just as cheap as a cruise. Does anyone else share this opinion?

 

Not a problem for us!

[GUT2407]

My husband and I have been cruising for over 25 years and have been to a lot of ports. We are now seriously considering putting a stop to our cruising. Why? With so many mega-ships in port, the crowds of people can be overwhelming. Traveling independently on land in the US or abroad seems to allow more flexibility and crowd avoidance and can be just as cheap as a cruise. Does anyone else share this opinion?

 

 

Not to the degree of stopping cruising, but I do agree many ports aren't up to mega ships.

 

One reason I prefer smaller ships.

[Glaciers]

In Alaska, only one port has a population of more than 10,000 people. Skagway’s population is 800. Having 3 or 4 ships in port makes for an extremely crowded town. It can be overwhelming.

 

We cruise Alaska each season although the crowds don’t bother us much as we usually don’t spend much time in town and are out exploring. The problem is that things have changed so much to accommodate all those cruisers that the port towns lost all that “Quaint Alaska Charm”.

 

We’re all pretty disgusted with shops like Diamonds International and the loss of the little shops and restaurants the locals used to frequent down by the waterfronts. Most are gone now, replaced with touristy shops.

 

That’s the turn off for us.

[slidergirl]

In Alaska, only one port has a population of more than 10,000 people. Skagway’s population is 800. Having 3 or 4 ships in port makes for an extremely crowded town. It can be overwhelming.

 

We cruise Alaska each season although the crowds don’t bother us much as we usually don’t spend much time in town and are out exploring. The problem is that things have changed so much to accommodate all those cruisers that the port towns lost all that “Quaint Alaska Charm”.

 

We’re all pretty disgusted with shops like Diamonds International and the loss of the little shops and restaurants the locals used to frequent down by the waterfronts. Most are gone now, replaced with touristy shops.

 

That’s the turn off for us.

 

I cannot imagine, nor would I want to be in such a nice small village and watch it be inundated like that! There was another thread where the discussion of the "invasion" of tourists happens in Alaska. One poster seemed to have the attitude of "well, if they want my money, they had better act like they want me there." Sad. Locals can only smile and pretend for so long before it starts to spoil their own lives.

[ExpatBride]

I live in a cruise port city and keep a list of the days that cruise ships will be in port so I can avoid going out. When we cruise, we use the ship as our destination and rarely get off the ship.

[babs135]

So what's the answer to an impossible question? I don't want to be 'responsible' for the destruction of a town's heritage simply because so many people visit and want shops they can visit at home (!).

 

Perhaps the cruise lines should look at limiting the number of ships docked at any one time. Can't see it happening.

[herbanrenewal]

All my initial cruises decades ago were to Caribbean ports. I used to call it The Beach of the Day club. What I liked best was that I found those places I wanted to stay longer than a few hours. When I go to the Caribbean now its a land-based vacation to the places I most enjoy.

 

Then I got hooked on European travel. We have enjoyed several med cruises, TransAtlantic, Adriatic cruises. Its a great way to get an overview before deciding where you need to return to see more in depth. But if you aren't focused on high end travel there are plenty of opportunities to travel at a price comparable to an ocean view cabin's cost.

We had a magnificent time on a month long trip through Spain, using Renfe national rail system to get from town to town. Although I've enjoyed wonderful Med cruises you can't see Rome in a day - we did a 3+ week Rome and Florence trip. Again using trains and public transportation for getting from place to place. We rented a car for a month for Germany, Austria, Belgium for another unforgettable trip.

 

I still love cruising, despite the diminishing luxuries. Maybe even because of the diminishing luxuries. As a low to mid-end traveler anyway I don't miss the old days. I enjoy the cost/benefit of the current cruises. But where I choose to cruise has changed. And I will never be tempted by mega-ships. I don't want to pay for ziplines, rockwall climbing, water park activities on-board. And if I want quality entertainment, I'm a day trip away from NYC or DC. There some decent community theater around home that ranks as well as some shipboard entertainers.

 

To me, the crowds are a small part of the reasons for changing my cruise habits.

[cruisemom42]

So what's the answer to an impossible question? I don't want to be 'responsible' for the destruction of a town's heritage simply because so many people visit and want shops they can visit at home (!).

 

Perhaps the cruise lines should look at limiting the number of ships docked at any one time. Can't see it happening.

 

I think it is an unanswerable question. There are few 'undiscovered' places on this earth -- most of them in places where few people would be willing to travel (at least for now). With an ever increasing number of tourists, and the internet quickly 'spreading the word' about any new and charming place, it's impossible to keep the crowds away.

 

I always wanted to go to Angkor Wat -- I had this vision in my head from years ago that I'd get there and be one of only a few tourists. Well, I finally went last year and the crowds were amazing. So much for the experience I'd imagined!

 

I cruised the Caribbean in the 1970s when cruising as a vacation was in its infancy. Completely different from today, and I'm glad I experienced it. I don't go back there much now, but once every few years I enjoy it, I just look at it in a different way now.

 

In Europe, I try to only travel in the off or shoulder seasons to avoid the worst crowds.

[navybankerteacher]

The effects upon ports which excessive passenger loads have can be likened to the "observer effect" in physics: Simply studying something frequently changes it.

 

Cruising has been so "successful" in that it has expanded so widely, that it no longer achieves its former purpose: giving people a chance to sample different places and cultures. Increasingly, a large number of cruisers only see what their own presence brings to the ports they visit: Diamonds International, Senor Frog, etc. - even if a cruiser elects to avoid them - change their host towns.

 

While I still enjoy "traveling" by ship, it is now being on the ship, rather than visiting the ports, that matters. Of course, in the Mediterranean, cruising was never a really good way to experience the region: too often the ports were far from places of interest: trying to see Florence while on an eight hour port call in Livorno, or Rome while calling at Civita Vecchia, was never anything more than a frustrating drive-by. The visits to smaller ports - capable of being seriously sampled in an eight hour visit - are no better now because of the "observer effect".

[Sequim88]

There are few 'undiscovered' places on this earth -- most of them in places where few people would be willing to travel (at least for now).

 

With a cruise ship now having done the NW Passage via the Arctic Ocean I had to wonder if there would be stops at places like Barrow, AK. When we visited there we flew in from Fairbanks in a half cargo, half passenger 737. I guess it would count as an "undiscovered" place but there were only fifteen people in the tour group. But a cruise ship's worth of people would shut the village down. A seriously interesting place to visit but so very remote - about like I would envision a colony on Mars would be like. Some places need to be hard to get to.