Suggestion for new ports

[Goingagin]

Hello everyone,

Sick of cruising to the same places?

This thread is for those who do more than the 'closed loop' cruises and who have passports and who have travelled around perhaps on land based trips and have come upon places that cruise ships SHOULD go but do not.

As I look through various pamphlettes and all the different cruise lines, they are all beginning to look similar.

Can you name some places that are not yet on itineraries but would be most welcome.

Please DO NOT give port answers that boutique ships visit.

I really dont want the

..........well when I was on the MV Massively Expensive we stopped at......

Has anyone a really good idea? Honest mistakes are forgiven in advance (you selected a port but some ships do go there)

[Goingagin]

Hello everyone, Sick of cruising to the same places? This thread is for those who do more than the 'closed loop' cruises and who have passports and who have travelled around perhaps on land based trips and have come upon places that cruise ships SHOULD go but do not. As I look through various pamphlettes and all the different cruise lines, they are all beginning to look similar. Can you name some places that are not yet on itineraries but would be most welcome. Please DO NOT give port answers that boutique ships visit. I really dont want the ..........well when I was on the MV Massively Expensive we stopped at...... Has anyone a really good idea? Honest mistakes are forgiven in advance (you selected a port but some ships do go there)

[Essiesmom]

It is what it is. This is asked periodically. There are only so many ports available. If ships don't visit there it is because there are no facilities to accommodate them and no infrastructure. The 'demand' for 'new' ports spurs cruise lines to create their own (Labadee, Grand Turk, Harvest Caye, Mahogany bay, private islands...). If you want new experiences, you have to go outside of North America/Caribbean/Mexico. Europe, Asia, Africa, Downunder...They are all thre for those with gumption. EM

[CruiserBruce]

Another great post by Essiesmom. People seem to think any port can be easily used by cruise ships. This is not true...tremendous consideration goes into each "new" port addition.

[ilikeanswers]

Please DO NOT give port answers that boutique ships visit. I really dont want the ..........well when I was on the MV Massively Expensive we stopped at......

 

The reason MV Massively Expensive can stop at different ports is because most of the time they are smaller:o. The fact is the bigger the ship (which generally are the cheaper ones) the less harbours they can physically fit into, so by that logic there are only so many places those ships can stop at. There is the option to completely terra firm a place to fit a large ship and it has been done on a smaller scale for certain cargo ports, however it creates a silting problem where the mud from the sea bed clogs up harbour entrances costing millions to clean out every year, not to mention it has devastated the local fishing industry, destroying the ecosystem:eek:.

 

Unfortunately if you feel you have exhausted all your port options you may have no choice but the smaller ships since they are probably the only one that can fit in the remaining harbours;)

[CarolinaGirl2010]

I'm sure that some ships already go there, but I'd like to see more to Bermuda and Barbados.

[paul929207]

I'm sure that some ships already go there, but I'd like to see more to Bermuda and Barbados.

Howdy Neighbor.

 

Lots of ships call on these. You will not find many places left in the Caribbean area that are not visited by some ships.

[capriccio]

If you want new experiences, you have to go outside of North America/Caribbean/Mexico. Europe, Asia, Africa, Downunder...They are all thre for those with gumption. EM

 

Plus South America!

[John Bull]

As cruise lines build bigger & bigger ships, so they are painting themselves into a corner.

And do any of the seriously-mega ships visit ashore-by-tender ports?

 

I rarely disagree with essiesmom, but I think the cruise lines have built some of their own ports (the beach-day type) in order to avoid port fees & to keep their passengers spending their money with the cruise line (the bars, franchised shops etc in those ports).

 

But as well as the logistical problems with new / secondary ports there are the political / terrorist problems.

In recent years ships have stopped going to the Red Sea & the Black Sea.

Holy Land cruises hold the ever-present risk of last-minute changes if there's grief in Jerusalem or a few rockets get lobbed into Ashdod.

And look at all the fantastic opportunities to cruise along the coasts of southern & eastern Africa if it weren't for pirates..

Costa used to sail this route - I don't know if they still do, but friends were on a Costa ship that was attacked by Somali pirates (the full works, gunfire & all :eek:). Others tell tales of being shadowed by friendly warships and of marines boarding for particularly risky segments

US cruise lines are always more risk-averse than others but even I draw the line at a significant risk of piracy.

 

Such things add to the limitations of cruise itineraries.

 

I still mourn the passing of Voyages of Discovery - an inexpensive little old ship that wandered the oceans of the world, visiting so very many primary and secondary ports & rarely visiting the same port twice in a year. Folk booked as many 2 to 3 week sectors as they wanted, some stayed on the ship for months.

 

JB :)

[Langley Cruisers]

Trust me, there are some places we do not want cruise ships to be able to go. Some places in this beautiful world still need to be explored NOT by cruise ship but by other means - I'm thinking especially of the Bahamas and some of the smaller Caribbean islands.

[sail7seas]

Trust me, there are some places we do not want cruise ships to be able to go. Some places in this beautiful world still need to be explored NOT by cruise ship but by other means - I'm thinking especially of the Bahamas and some of the smaller Caribbean islands.

 

 

TRUST you the Bahama s don't want or need cruise ships? HUH??

 

 

Surely you know how many ships call at Nassau? I've heard nothing about t hey want the ships to stop coming.

 

About the small Bahamian islands t hat cruise line use as private islands. they bring in a head tax for all pax when a ship calls on the islands, , the improvements the cruise lines have made to the islands, the many year leases that are very high $$. NOT to mention the jobs provided to locals who live on nearby islands to work as caretaker s an d look out for the island when no ships there.

 

Head taxes collected for each shipload of guests who pour off those ships.

 

 

Sorry but I feel obliged to disagree with some of your st tatement.

 

I will agree with you in terms of some islands such as St. Barts. They do not want or need the ships as they are a draw to wealthy tourist base with fabulous private yachts. . We visited St. Barts twice on Maasdam and totally loved that island They were not totally welcoming to cruisersb ut I understand that It is a very high end , not crowded, beautiful location and I am happy to have had the opportunity to twice visit there They may not have liked cruisers all that much, but

 

they showed no dislike for our credit cards in various shops..

 

 

It is ALL about the money

Edited April 3, 2018 by sail7seas

[paul929207]

Last I heard, St. Barth's would only take the smaller ships. I think the limit was about 800 passengers.

[navybankerteacher]

Trust me, there are some places we do not want cruise ships to be able to go. Some places in this beautiful world still need to be explored NOT by cruise ship but by other means - I'm thinking especially of the Bahamas and some of the smaller Caribbean islands.

 

Seconded. Perhaps it needs to be recognized that one of the reasons some small, out of the way places ARE so attractive is because they are NOT visited by cruise ships carrying thousands of people looking for what makes small, out of the way places special.

[rmurray847]

I'm assuming the OP is merely speculating and not asking us to come up with ports that literally are capable right now of handling a big ship. Clearly we all know that there are MANY places that are not set up to accomodate Oasis of the Seas, or even Norwegian Jewel. And I can't claim familiarity with all the ports many of the niche (read: too expensive for me) might hit. But areas that would be interesting to me would include the Seychelles, Madagascar, and then some really obscure islands like Stromboli Island in the Med. Yet at the same time, just because a ship COULD reach a port doesn't mean I'd like it. There need to be a few "unspoiled" places left (and by unspoiled, I just mean RELATIVELY not overrun by tourists). When a cruise ship disgorges its passengers anywhere...that place is immediately overrun.

[sail7seas]

Last I heard, St. Barth's would only take the smaller ships. I think the limit was about 800 passengers.

 

 

HAL's Maasdam carrries more than 800 guests yet I an d my la te DH sailed to St. Barts twice. So, I am unsure what you heard and question its accuracy, from personal , first person experience. :)

[sail7seas]

Seconded. Perhaps it needs to be recognized that one of the reasons some small, out of the way places ARE so attractive is because they are NOT visited by cruise ships carrying thousands of people looking for what makes small, out of the way places special.

 

 

 

I think most of us get 'that' and it really doesn't need to be delineated. :)

 

At least,I hope we all grasp the concept. :)

 

No sovereign locale needs to permit anyone into their harbor or on their soil if they are not agreeable to that. Not even into their air space.

[Hlitner]

I am a bit puzzled by the OP's post. We have been cruising (and also doing extensive land travel) since the mid 1970s and have been to well over 100 cruise ports on 6 Continents. Cruise ships now go just about everywhere that is reasonable when it comes to receiving a ship and having the needed infrastructure for shore visits. Yes, there are quite a few places around the world that would be wonderful places for a cruise day....but in many cases these places have no ship facilities and really do not want cruise ships. One Caribbean example is St Barts where they only allow a few cruise ships to visit (mostly smaller luxury line vessels).

 

The reality is that some cruise ports are now rethinking their philosophy of welcoming ships. A good example in our own USA is the port the Charleston, SC where there has been a lot of local objections to allowing ships to dock at their facility. Another high profile case is the port of Venice, Italy....where they have built an excellent cruise ship facility. There has been a political movement for several years to ban all large ships from this facility...and now it looks likely that this is going to happen in the next few years (if not sooner).

 

While cruisers love interesting ports, those who live at or near those ports do not always love cruise ships and cruisers. In many cases the cruisers do not really contribute as much to the local economy as folks who visit on land...and the cruisers can create problems with crowding which drive away other tourists (St Thomas is a great example).

 

The situation is made even worse by the huge mega ships. While a port such as Porto (Portugal) is perfect for a smaller ship (i.e. less than 1500 folks) it is not a great place for an Oasis Class vessel. We once sailed all the way up the Garonne River and docked in downtown Bordeaux, France (we actually tied up in a park). But this was on an 800 passenger ship..and we could barely get into that port. Larger cruise ships cannot do this type of port. And then there is the Kiel Canal (in Europe) that cannot handle even most medium size ships.

 

My advice to the OP is fly or cruise to Europe, rent a car for a month, and just drive. Most of Europe is not within range of a port day....but its a wonderful continent for exploration.

[sail7seas]

I am a bit puzzled by the OP's post. We have been cruising (and also doing extensive land travel) since the mid 1970s and have been to well over 100 cruise ports on 6 Continents. Cruise ships now go just about everywhere that is reasonable when it comes to receiving a ship and having the needed infrastructure for shore visits. Yes, there are quite a few places around the world that would be wonderful places for a cruise day....but in many cases these places have no ship facilities and really do not want cruise ships. One Caribbean example is St Barts where they only allow a few cruise ships to visit (mostly smaller luxury line vessels).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though Rotterdam is a huge harbor, the wateway leading to it is very narrow and when we saiiled into Roterdam I got up, at o' dark hundred and went to my blacony to watch us arrive and it was ssooo wondefrul. i I had one of the most memorable experiences, standing alone on my verandah, while my DH slept. the waterway was so narrow, i don't kno how thre ships can make it through looking to shore in the early morning darkness gave me views of Duch farmalndI never would have expected to see. from a ship and on one dairy farm in partidular. A lone woman in her lon g D utch skirt and apron, exsited her house, carrying a light t and a bucket.. One would think she was going to milk the cows. She stoped, stood still looked at our gorgeous ship as we quietly slid through the water. I looked at her, knew she saw me as my vernadah light was the only lit in my side of the ship. We both raised our hands in a wide wave. A connection i remember so vividly al these years later. SHE saw a gorgeous ship an d I saw asight o t he netherlands I never could have exected. Of course, being on a ship named rOTTERDAM certtainly made it all the more memorable.

 

 

 

Masdam had to tender us ashore in St. Barts. WAS genuinely worth it. :)

 

 

The reality is that some cruise ports are now rethinking their philosophy of welcoming ships. A good example in our own USA is the port the Charleston, SC where there has been a lot of local objections to allowing ships to dock at their facility. Another high profile case is the port of Venice, Italy....where they have built an excellent cruise ship facility. There has been a political movement for several years to ban all large ships from this facility...and now it looks likely that this is going to happen in the next few years (if not sooner).

 

While cruisers love interesting ports, those who live at or near those ports do not always love cruise ships and cruisers. In many cases the cruisers do not really contribute as much to the local economy as folks who visit on land...and the cruisers can create problems with crowding which drive away other tourists (St Thomas is a great example).

 

The situation is made even worse by the huge mega ships. While a port such as Porto (Portugal) is perfect for a smaller ship (i.e. less than 1500 folks) it is not a great place for an Oasis Class vessel. We once sailed all the way up the Garonne River and docked in downtown Bordeaux, France (we actually tied up in a park). But this was on an 800 passenger ship..and we could barely get into that port. Larger cruise ships cannot do this type of port. And then there is the Kiel Canal (in Europe) that cannot handle even most medium size ships.

 

My advice to the OP is fly or cruise to Europe, rent a car for a month, and just drive. Most of Europe is not within range of a port day....but its a wonderful continent for exploration.

Edited April 3, 2018 by sail7seas

[capriccio]

Last I heard, St. Barth's would only take the smaller ships. I think the limit was about 800 passengers.

 

We stopped in St. Barth's on the previous version of the Royal Princess with about 700 passengers on a FLL to Manaus cruise in 2010. We didn't do an excursion but just walked around the harbor admiring the yachts.

[Langley Cruisers]

TRUST you the Bahama s don't want or need cruise ships? HUH??... Surely you know how many ships call at Nassau? I've heard nothing about t hey want the ships to stop coming....

 

Pardon? I'm not sure what you think I said but perhaps read my comments again. I never said anything like that. I merely commented that I feel there are some places cruise ships DO NOT need to go, among them are some of the unspoiled and under populated islands of the Bahamas. We had the pleasure of spending two land vacations in beautiful Exuma, Bahamas. Glorious. And not a cruise ship in sight.

 

Seconded. Perhaps it needs to be recognized that one of the reasons some small, out of the way places ARE so attractive is because they are NOT visited by cruise ships carrying thousands of people looking for what makes small, out of the way places special.

 

Absolutely, and precisely what I meant. :)

.

[sail7seas]

We ruly enjoyed several calls in Lisbon. Wondeufl port especially given t he ship dockes i tghe city cegter.

 

Port of Malaga Spain provided proimity for taxi ride to marbella.. Oystnading. we loved it so much, we returned for a resort stay . Ultara luxury. :)Gorgeous beahces.

[whogo]

There are more ports than I could ever visit, I don't need more. Here are a few ports that a German line visits.

Fishguard, Wales

Klaipeda, Lithuania

Eckernforde, Germany

Riga, Latvia

Bremerhaven, Germany

Killybegs, Ireland

Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island, Azores

Benidorm, Spain

Acajutla, El Salvador

Rauma, Finland

Thiruvananthapuram, India

[sail7seas]

We stopped in St. Barth's on the previous version of the Royal Princess with about 700 passengers on a FLL to Manaus cruise in 2010. We didn't do an excursion but just walked around the harbor admiring the yachts.

 

One of our stops there, we ( my late DH and I) hired a taxi and driver to take us around the island. he gave us a terrific tour and we were happy we had done that. We also spent some time admiring those fabulous yachts in the marina.

[Hlitner]

One of our stops there, we ( my late DH and I) hired a taxi and driver to take us around the island. he gave us a terrific tour and we were happy we had done that. We also spent some time admiring those fabulous yachts in the marina.

 

Funny story about St Barts. About 2 years ago one of the mass market ships did get permission for a port call. When the cruisers got ashore they quickly discovered that none of the rest rooms in town were functioning. Some shop owners claimed there was a problem with the local water supply. Apparently the problem disappeared after the cruisers tendered back to their ship :).

 

St Barts and Anguilla (another nearby island) are beautiful islands that attract a pretty upscale clientèle who are happy to spend money (lots of money) on accommodations and in the oft world-class restaurants (with world class prices). They do not want their paradise spoiled by large groups of cruisers...although they do welcome the cruisers from the small upscale lines (i.e. Seabourn, Regent, Silverseas, Sea Dream, Wind Star, etc). Looking forward at the entire 2019 year for St Barts...there is not a single scheduled arrival of a mass market ship on the island. The closest thing to mass market would be Oceania or Azamara. I think the largest ship would be the Crystal Serenity.

 

Hank

[Extra Kim]

But areas that would be interesting to me would include the Seychelles, Madagascar.

 

Costa do cruises to the Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion.