Have you ever been under- whelmed by a place that is great ,mine was Paris .How about you.

[cruisemom42]

I thought of another place that underwhelmed me -- Marrakesh. I think my expectations were just way too high.  We stayed there two nights, so it wasn't a question of a quick cruise excursion.  It was just very touristy and nowhere near as "exotic" as I'd hoped.

[SelectSys]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

... first timer getting off the ship in Livorno should go to Lucca - which can be fairly experienced in the time available - than spend more travel time and come back frustrated  by a mobbed, too-faint taste of Florence. 

 

I think one of the worst in this regard might be the day trip from Le Havre to Paris.  I was on a cruise where this excursion was offered - yuck and no thanks.   Better to take a quick visit to Honfleur or Rouen if you want to leave the port area.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Drawing any conclusion from a port visit is chancy:  if there is little to see, you will see little - if there is a lot to see, you will be among a lot of others trying to see it —- and it is likely that the more there is to see, the more you will feel frustrated by not being able to see it all in the few hours available.   

 

That is why, for example, I would suggest that a first timer getting off the ship in Livorno should go to Lucca - which can be fairly experienced in the time available - than spend more travel time and come back frustrated  by a mobbed, too-faint taste of Florence. 

We loved Florence off the ship. DW is an art teacher and made timed reservations at both of the major museums. Plus the whole place was so artistic. And the gelato stops in the nearly 100 degree heat were also wonderful.😃

[getting older slowly]

One place on a cruise was Milford Sound New Zealand.....

 

It was nice but the fjord is only about 8 miles long...... It was probably all the hype, as a must see....

 

The country inland is amazing, but Fjord its self   is OK

 

Don

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

One place on a cruise was Milford Sound New Zealand.....

 

 

Compared to being able to sail through Dusky Sound and Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound is the "little sister" in my experience.  All of New Zealand's Fjordland National Park is beautiful and worth the effort and time to experience it.  But, like other attractions in the world, some parts are better than others.  

[pris993]

On 10/20/2020 at 5:55 PM, dolittle said:

We have been lucky enough to visit many cities in Europe and loved every minute of it. So when  we got off the ship for a two night stay(the ship was staying over night)  in Paris I was  ready for one of the worlds  greatest cities.It was beautiful and we walked the river from the faux statue of liberty to Notre Dame . We stayed out late and got up early to be first in line for the eiffel  tower and had another nice fall day in Paris. The people were nice there were  not to many crowds . We liked it BUT I don't know why it just did not move me like other cities in Europe . I almost felt guilty but that is silly something either moves you or it does not. Has this ever happened to you and  where was it . Be honest I think this has happened to most of us. B.T.W. I did love the tower I find most things that are cliches like it is ,are not worth it . The tower was it was great. 

My DH is from Paris, reading your comment I recall the first time I visited Paris, I was overwhelmed but also surprised by  how the smoke from chimneys had darkened some buildings, seem dirty to me at first.   I have probably visit Paris 15 times, I know the city almost as well as I do my home town of San Francisco.  Paris grew on me, love exploring the neighborhoods and experiencing the culture.  Glad we did it so many times when I was younger no longer can walk all day and Paris is  best seen and enjoyed by walking around it. 

 

To answer you question, probably the two travel experiences that were underwhelming to me were a 15 day cruise through the Panama Canal on the Coral Princess and a 10 day cruise we did on the Queen Mary II.   The Canal is an amazing accomplishment of engineering for its time and one  that serves the world well.  But it takes all day to go through the locks... so not that exciting for me.  I am sure I am in the minority on this one.  I actually enjoyed sitting outside the Suez Canal for a day and watching the variety of boats coming through there more than the Panama Canal.    Equally disappointing for me was the Queen Mary II, many said you must experience this ship, as it is a ocean liner not a cruise ship.  So we spent 10 days on board, found the layout of the ship strange at odd at times, upper or top deck left a lot to be desired.  We loved the Queen Victoria and went on that ship 2 times... great layout, easy follow in public areas from dining to entertainment on board.   I would go back on board the Queen Victoria in a heart beat but not the Queen Mary II.  

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

We loved Florence off the ship. DW is an art teacher and made timed reservations at both of the major museums. Plus the whole place was so artistic. And the gelato stops in the nearly 100 degree heat were also wonderful.😃

If the ONLY chance you have to see Florence is from a cruise stop in Livorno - by all means do it —- even a little bit of Florence is magical.  But it makes so much more sense if you are going to Europe anyway (especially if the cruise starts from or ends at an Italian port) to allow several days pre- and/or post- cruise to give yourself more than a sip.

 

It always amazes me to see/hear about people flying to Rome the day before boarding in Civita Vecchia , and rushing to the airport to fly home hours after debarking.   How many times can people plan on flying across the Atlantic?

Edited October 29, 2020 by navybankerteacher

[ontheweb]

9 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

If the ONLY chance you have to see Florence is from a cruise stop in Livorno - by all means do it —- even a little bit of Florence is magical.  But it makes so much more sense if you are going to Europe anyway (especially if the cruise starts from or ends at an Italian port) to allow several days pre- and/or post- cruise to give yourself more than a sip.

 

It always amazes me to see/hear about people flying to Rome the day before boarding in Civita Vecchia , and rushing to the airport to fly home hours after debarking.   How many times can people plan on flying across the Atlantic?

There is also a back story to why we enjoyed the one time we actually got to Florence. Our very first cruise was for our 25th anniversary and included  Livorno for Florence. And I screwed up royally; I got us on the train going the wrong way. Luckily DW figured it out and we got off and did get back to the ship (actually having time to get at least to Pisa.) We decided on our 35th anniversary to do a very similar cruise. We were not going to miss Florence this time! Even though being more experienced, we probably could have done it on our own, we bought the cruise line's Florence on your own excursion. There was no way we were going to miss Florence that second time!

 

I know DW enjoyed immensely the planning as well as the time there. Also the air conditioned bus was very nice as it was an exceptionally hot summer. We did Rome on our own, no excursion. The train back was packed and very hot, and that was before the fight broke out. DW then decided maybe we should have paid extra and taken their bus and Rome on your own as well.

[ilikeanswers]

16 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

How many times can people plan on flying across the Atlantic?

 

Everyone thinks they have more time till it is too late. Flying across the Atlantic is however much easier than what Australians have to do to get to Europe😂 so you can definitely make a lot more return trips😉. 

[cruisemom42]

13 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Everyone thinks they have more time till it is too late. Flying across the Atlantic is however much easier than what Australians have to do to get to Europe😂 so you can definitely make a lot more return trips😉. 

 

So true, unfortunately...

 

Many of my colleagues and friends used to poke gentle fun at me for all my trips to Europe. For the last decade I was averaging 1 European cruise and 2 land trips per year. Even if they were not always lengthy trips (work restrictions) I have seen -- and enjoyed -- a lot. And even before that it was once or twice a year.

 

As for the flights, I laugh to myself when others complain about TA flights. I am a veteran of 9-10 hour car trips undertaken several times a year by my parents to go visit my grandparents in Florida, with very few stops. I learned early to just sit still and read or sleep until we arrived. Not that much different from a flight, really... 

 

I do feel for you Aussies and Kiwis though, no question you have to plan longer trips given how long it takes to Europe.

 

[lynncarol]

16 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

As for the flights, I laugh to myself when others complain about TA flights. I am a veteran of 9-10 hour car trips undertaken several times a year by my parents to go visit my grandparents in Florida, with very few stops. I learned early to just sit still and read or sleep until we arrived. Not that much different from a flight, really... 

Got a kick out of this.  My folks used to drag us 3 kids to Hollywood Beach Florida from eastern North Carolina each summer for 'vacation'. Cruisemom: did you have siblings on those long trips? My folks had to put tape dividers on the back seat as we kids squabbled (and roasted without air conditioner)  for the entire 11 hours. We tried quietly reading but it just made us car-sick. If one child sprawled after falling asleep, the others complained that we were "over our line'. All of us still harbor unpleasant memories of those trips.

[ldubs]

19 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Everyone thinks they have more time till it is too late. Flying across the Atlantic is however much easier than what Australians have to do to get to Europe😂 so you can definitely make a lot more return trips😉. 

 

I was thinking that the Perth to London nonstop had to be the longest nonstop passenger flight (time-wise).  I got curious, did a little searching, and was surprised there are other nonstops even longer (like Singapore to Newark).  

 

We can fly nonstop from SF to London or other places in Europe in 11 to 12 hours.  We are pretty used to that at this point so it isn't a big deal.   On the other hand, a SF to Sydney nonstop is about 15 hours.  We have done that once (as a stopover to Aukland).  We sure hope to return some day when this mess is over.  

[SadieN]

Can do without the whole Caribbean, except Puerto Rico.  

[rkacruiser]

14 minutes ago, SadieN said:

Can do without the whole Caribbean, except Puerto Rico.  

 

Have you never visited St. Lucia?  Dominica is so poor, but, it's rain forest is guest worthy for a visit.  The same can be said for the rain forest of Martinique.  What about Trunk Bay on St. Johns, U. S. Virgin Islands?  Have you visited the ABC islands?   

 

Puerto Rico has much to offer for a cruise guest as they begin to explore the Caribbean.  Personally, it's a "been there, done that" type of island now.  

 

To each, his or her own, I think.  

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, lynncarol said:

Got a kick out of this.  My folks used to drag us 3 kids to Hollywood Beach Florida from eastern North Carolina each summer for 'vacation'. Cruisemom: did you have siblings on those long trips? My folks had to put tape dividers on the back seat as we kids squabbled (and roasted without air conditioner)  for the entire 11 hours. We tried quietly reading but it just made us car-sick. If one child sprawled after falling asleep, the others complained that we were "over our line'. All of us still harbor unpleasant memories of those trips.

 

I only had one sister, several years older than me. We had a few scuffles over space but in those days back seats were large, lol.  

 

I never had any problem with motion sickness and reading in the car, and I always had my nose in a book as a kid.

[navybankerteacher]

On 10/28/2020 at 9:56 PM, ilikeanswers said:

 

Everyone thinks they have more time till it is too late. Flying across the Atlantic is however much easier than what Australians have to do to get to Europe😂 so you can definitely make a lot more return trips😉. 

An Atlantic flight from JFK to LHR (my usual) is a snap - two of those little bottles of Drambuie right after take off and the next thing I know we are approaching Heathrow out of the morning mist.   A whole lot easier than driving I-95 from/to almost anywhere.

[navybankerteacher]

21 hours ago, lynncarol said:

... If one child sprawled after falling asleep, the others complained that we were "over our line'. ...

 

Aaaaah, yes:

 

“She’s TOUCHING me!”.

 

On our drives from Western CT to Truro on Cape Cod, we’d quietly move sleeping children from their beds to the back seat and “way back” of the car at about 2:00 AM - they’d wake at about 7:00 AM just as we were pulling into the Friendly’s on the Orleans Route 6 traffic circle for breakfast - leaving just 20 or so minutes of the drive for later.

 

Of course, the daytime drive home was usually “hell on wheels”.

[ontheweb]

On 10/29/2020 at 2:59 PM, lynncarol said:

Got a kick out of this.  My folks used to drag us 3 kids to Hollywood Beach Florida from eastern North Carolina each summer for 'vacation'. Cruisemom: did you have siblings on those long trips? My folks had to put tape dividers on the back seat as we kids squabbled (and roasted without air conditioner)  for the entire 11 hours. We tried quietly reading but it just made us car-sick. If one child sprawled after falling asleep, the others complained that we were "over our line'. All of us still harbor unpleasant memories of those trips.

My childhood horror memory from childhood was a trip to Miami. My youngest brother was 2 going on 3 at the time. He carried on the whole time on the plane. He kept screaming at my parents that he did not want to go to "Your Ami". And then when we got there, he kept picking up cigarette butts and tried to give them back to folks. 

 

My parents never took the four of us on another trip.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 space but in those days back seats were large, lol.  

 

My Father bought a used a mid-1950's Buick Roadmaster.  When my Brother and I got into the back seat for the first time, we thought we were in a limousine with the leg room and space in that back seat.  

 

The only thing that I can recall about "whose space was whose" with my Brother was this.  He sat on the left side; I sat on the right side.  Maybe we were different brothers, but I really don't remember any big disagreements with him other than when we would play board games, i.e "Civil War" or "Monopoly" or etc.  He would win more often than I did.  But, my "disagreements" were always civil and in the tune of voice:  "I'll get you the next time".  

 

Our biggest and most "serious" disagreements revolved around whose turn it was to feed the dog and cats and (because we had a yard in three levels) whose turn it was to cut the grass in which level.  

[donaldsc]

On 10/29/2020 at 11:59 AM, lynncarol said:

Got a kick out of this.  My folks used to drag us 3 kids to Hollywood Beach Florida from eastern North Carolina each summer for 'vacation'. Cruisemom: did you have siblings on those long trips? My folks had to put tape dividers on the back seat as we kids squabbled (and roasted without air conditioner)  for the entire 11 hours. We tried quietly reading but it just made us car-sick. If one child sprawled after falling asleep, the others complained that we were "over our line'. All of us still harbor unpleasant memories of those trips.

 

I remember once that my brother and I would not stop arguing in the back seat.  My dad said that if we argued one more time, he would kick us out of the car and leave us there.  We did and so did he.  It was in the country so there were no serious dangers and he drove around a corner so that we could not see him but it definitely made an impression on me.  Not sure if we did less arguing but I do remember it probably 70 years later.

 

Now he would probably get into trouble with the child abuse agencies if he tried to pull that stunt.

 

DON

[rkacruiser]

56 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

I remember once that my brother and I would not stop arguing in the back seat.  My dad said that if we argued one more time, he would kick us out of the car and leave us there.  We did and so did he.  It was in the country so there were no serious dangers and he drove around a corner so that we could not see him but it definitely made an impression on me.  Not sure if we did less arguing but I do remember it probably 70 years later.

 

Now he would probably get into trouble with the child abuse agencies if he tried to pull that stunt.

 

DON

 

My Mother pulled the same kind of stunt on me.  I had a tendency to go wandering in a store while she was shopping.  I had been admonished repeatedly about this.  One day, in a large department store, I went off "exploring".  I suddenly discovered that Mother was not visible and I did not know where she was.  I started to cry and yell "Mother"!  After a bit, she appeared and--I will never forget her words--"You called"?  There was no more wandering by me when we went shopping after that.  

[K32682]

My nomination for the most underwhelming place is Tokyo and all of Japan quite frankly. It did however give me some insight into what life might have been like for a black man in the southern United States during the 1950's. 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by K32682

[gooch47]

I thought of another one:  Tahiti

 

Went there twice.  Both ship's excursion.  The first time we toured in and near the city of Papeete.  I was shocked to see they had a freeway, LOL.   It was so disappointing.  The second time we got out into the countryside, took a jeep excursion up into the mountains,  That was the Tahiti I was looking for.

[iancal]

We were greatly underwhelmed by a three week land trip to the Philippines.  So much so that we cut our visit short after five days and flew to Thailand for the balance.

[dolittle]

10 hours ago, K32682 said:

My nomination for the most underwhelming place is Tokyo and all of Japan quite frankly. It did however give me some insight into what life might have been like for a black man in the southern United States during the 1950's. 

 

 

It is funny that Japan is just not on most people's list of must see places. It is odd for a rich and advanced country to have such a small tourist trade I guess this is why.