Cruise ports

[cruisemom42]

I don't cruise out of the US often anymore, and when I was a kid, embarkation ports were more limited. Have sailed out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, NYC and San Francisco -- I think that's it. 

 

I loved our sailaway from San Francisco (under the bridge) but suspect I wouldn't like the city as much now as I did in 1977...  This was also one of my favorite cruises as a kid -- back in the day when Alaska cruises were mostly 2 weeks and you MIGHT see one other ship in port. 

 

I like Fort Lauderdale because I know it so well -- my grandparents and parents both lived there for a significant amount of time in retirement.

 

As for foreign ports, I've embarked in:  Vancouver, Copenhagen, Athens, Civitavecchia (Rome), Lisbon, Naples, Venice, Barcelona, Istanbul, Bangkok, Singapore, and even Safaga Egypt (Voyages to Antiquity). I'm probably forgetting at least one...

[bonsai3s]

Hmmm...U.S. ports...we've sailed out of Honolulu, San Diego, San Pedro, San Francisco, Seattle, Anchorage (Seward), Galveston, Boston, Port Canaveral, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and San Juan.

 

We've sailed out of San Pedro the most, and only once out of Boston....our top 3:

 

3. San Juan

2. Honolulu

1. San Francisco...a bit biased because my high school is not far from the cruise terminal...from the top deck, you can see the Bay Bridge, the beautiful San Francisco skyline, then as the ship sails...you 'll see Alcatraz and Angel Island......nothing more magical than sailing under the glowing Golden Gate Bridge at sunset, with the fog slowly rolling in...breathtaking.

 

We miss cruising...wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[wrmiles]

Seattle, San Pedro, San Diego, Miami, Tampa, NYC (arrival only). Don't really hav a favorite.

[rkacruiser]

I have sailed from 10 United States ports.  If one includes San Juan, that would make 11.

 

Boston, New York, Baltimore, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Whittier, Seward; then, San Juan.

 

Port Everglades is my favorite for sentimental reasons.

 

Baltimore, Whittier, and Port Canaveral are my favorites for "easy on" and "easy off".  Port Everglades is a close second in that category.  

 

The Port of Miami needs to be re-imagined to make it more guest friendly when one drives to the port.

[Hlitner]

We have embarked/disembarked at NYC, Phila, Baltimore, Boston, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Galveston, San Pedro, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.  I guess we could add Quebec City and Vancouver if looking at North America.  We do not have any favorite US port although we find NYC and Ft Lauderdale to be the most convenient.  

 

As to our favorite embarkation/disembarkation ports they would all be outside the USA.  

 

Hank

[puppycanducruise]

I haven't been on as many cruises as many of you, and I've only sailed out of a US port once, that was  Ft Lauderdale.  

Most of my cruises have been in Europe and my favourite disembarkation port would be Venice.

 

[Hlitner]

On 12/21/2020 at 11:10 AM, puppycanducruise said:

I haven't been on as many cruises as many of you, and I've only sailed out of a US port once, that was  Ft Lauderdale.  

Most of my cruises have been in Europe and my favourite disembarkation port would be Venice.

 

Venice is even more special because you will no longer be able to use that port if on a larger ship.  Many will fondly remember their cruises in and out of Venice and be able to say "I remember when Venice allowed larger ships in the port."

 

Hank

[ldubs]

We have embarked from 8 American ports (I think).  I wouldn't say any were a "favorite".  SF would be most convenient and sailing out under the Golden Gate is terrific, even if the city itself is not desirable.  I always enjoyed Seattle but haven't been for a while. 

[BigGuy25]

Sailed from many ports all around the world but US ports include New York (Red Hook), New Orleans, Los Angeles, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral (Orlando) and Miami.  Don’t have a real favorite but we certainly enjoyed spending time before and after the cruise in New Orleans.

[Sea42]

We've started and ended cruises in Seattle, Fort Lauderdale and San Juan. It's a toss up for me which is the favorite.

Seattle was our grandson first cruise and we had such a wonderful time exploring the city with him. Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze!

But, we love spending time in Puerto Rico. We have visited several times on non-cruise vacations, so it is a sentimental favorite. The embarkation process there was a mess though.

[ontheweb]

20 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

We've started and ended cruises in Seattle, Fort Lauderdale and San Juan. It's a toss up for me which is the favorite.

Seattle was our grandson first cruise and we had such a wonderful time exploring the city with him. Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze!

But, we love spending time in Puerto Rico. We have visited several times on non-cruise vacations, so it is a sentimental favorite. The embarkation process there was a mess though.

San Juan was about the easiest embarkation process we ever had.

 

I think our most difficult was the second time we were in Barcelona, a combination of it being NCL, and the ship was much too large, the Epic.

[zqvol]

On 12/18/2020 at 7:55 PM, zqvol said:

We have sailed out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Charleston, Boston, Seward, San Juan, and St Thomas in the US. Either Seward or St. Thomas is probably the favorite.

 

We've also sailed out of Vancouver, Quebec City, Bridgetown, Venice, Dubrovnik, Athens, and Istanbul.

Realized, long after the original post that I forgot to include New Orleans.

[navybankerteacher]

On 12/24/2020 at 10:57 AM, ontheweb said:

San Juan was about the easiest embarkation process we ever had.

 

I think our most difficult was the second time we were in Barcelona, a combination of it being NCL, and the ship was much too large, the Epic.

Brooklyn —- actually, it depends upon timing (ours vs. everyone else’s) not planning.  Out easiest boarding was a year ago at Brooklyn on QM2’s Caribbean itinerary.  We just happened to show up at about 1:00 PM -rather than our intended 11:00 AM.  There was no one in line - I think we were on the ship about 10 minutes after our ride dropped us off.

 

Debarkation in January was a damn nightmare - we didn’t get off the ship until almost 11:00 AM - somehow everything/everyone ran late.

[ldubs]

On 12/26/2020 at 6:51 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Brooklyn —- actually, it depends upon timing (ours vs. everyone else’s) not planning.  Out easiest boarding was a year ago at Brooklyn on QM2’s Caribbean itinerary.  We just happened to show up at about 1:00 PM -rather than our intended 11:00 AM.  There was no one in line - I think we were on the ship about 10 minutes after our ride dropped us off.

 

 

 

We learned to not be among the frantic morning stampede to board.  Wait a couple hours and it is usually a leisurely walk on.  

[clo]

6 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

We learned to not be among the frantic morning stampede to board.  Wait a couple hours and it is usually a leisurely walk on.  

And have a GREAT lunch before!

[cruisemom42]

39 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

We learned to not be among the frantic morning stampede to board.  Wait a couple hours and it is usually a leisurely walk on.  

 

I almost always do this. I can get an extra half-day of sight-seeing in, plus have a nice lunch ashore before heading to port -- and by the time I arrive there is almost never a wait to board. Especially when I am somewhere like Rome or Istanbul or Barcelona, it seems like such a no-brainer.

 

[ldubs]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I almost always do this. I can get an extra half-day of sight-seeing in, plus have a nice lunch ashore before heading to port -- and by the time I arrive there is almost never a wait to board. Especially when I am somewhere like Rome or Istanbul or Barcelona, it seems like such a no-brainer.

 

 

Well, we have let the cat out of the bag now!  haha.  

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Well, we have let the cat out of the bag now!  haha.  

 

[clo]

49 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I almost always do this. I can get an extra half-day of sight-seeing in, plus have a nice lunch ashore before heading to port -- and by the time I arrive there is almost never a wait to board. Especially when I am somewhere like Rome or Istanbul or Barcelona, it seems like such a no-brainer.

 

Some of it may be the ship vs. the ports. But perhaps also not feeling confident enough to DIY.

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, clo said:

And have a GREAT lunch before!

 

I define a "GREAT" lunch onboard on embarkation day as having lunch in the dining room if it is open.  Embarking to late may prevent this.  Embarking MSC Meraviglia in January when the YC DR was still open, I found that embarking a new cruise ship, etc. was so "different" that by the time I was ready for lunch, The YC Pool Grill's Buffet was the option.  It was good, but.......

[clo]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I define a "GREAT" lunch onboard on embarkation day as having lunch in the dining room if it is open.  Embarking to late may prevent this.  Embarking MSC Meraviglia in January when the YC DR was still open, I found that embarking a new cruise ship, etc. was so "different" that by the time I was ready for lunch, The YC Pool Grill's Buffet was the option.  It was good, but.......

I'm talking about having a GREAT lunch on shore before embarking! Some of these cities have crazy good food.

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I define a "GREAT" lunch onboard on embarkation day as having lunch in the dining room if it is open.  Embarking to late may prevent this.  

 

Can't be better than having lunch alfresco in the piazza in front of the Pantheon in Rome. That's my "go to" spot before heading to Civitavecchia to board my cruise. 

[rkacruiser]

18 hours ago, clo said:

I'm talking about having a GREAT lunch on shore before embarking! Some of these cities have crazy good food.

 

Ah, I now understand.  Don't disagree with your thought.

 

17 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Can't be better than having lunch alfresco in the piazza in front of the Pantheon in Rome. That's my "go to" spot before heading to Civitavecchia to board my cruise. 

 

No disagreement by me.  Because the majority of my cruises have embarked in Port Everglades, I know that there are pleasant venues for a scenic lunch, but I prefer to lunch on my ship.

 

One of my reasons for preferring this is being seated with others and experiencing their "enthusiasm" as their cruise begins.  It's an "atmosphere" that is always somewhat "electrifying" for me, conversing with them as to what their plans are for the cruise.  And, the "newer to cruising" the people may be, the better the experience is for me.  

[Cruzaholic41]

8 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

No disagreement by me.  Because the majority of my cruises have embarked in Port Everglades, I know that there are pleasant venues for a scenic lunch, but I prefer to lunch on my ship.

 

One of my reasons for preferring this is being seated with others and experiencing their "enthusiasm" as their cruise begins.  It's an "atmosphere" that is always somewhat "electrifying" for me, conversing with them as to what their plans are for the cruise.  And, the "newer to cruising" the people may be, the better the experience is for me.  

I totally agree with you. I like to board early. That first lunch on board is one of my favorites, and is somewhat symbolic. 
 

Besides, if I’m abroad, or embarking from any place I fly to, I knock out the local meals before cruise day. 

[cruisemom42]

31 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

I totally agree with you. I like to board early. That first lunch on board is one of my favorites, and is somewhat symbolic. 
 

Besides, if I’m abroad, or embarking from any place I fly to, I knock out the local meals before cruise day. 

 

There's no right or wrong, it's just a difference of opinion that highlights those who enjoy the cruising more versus those who enjoy the ports more.

 

From my point of view there is no "knocking out the local meals" -- I would prefer dining ashore almost any time to dining onboard ship where the cuisine is usually very average and inoffensive. Not too spicy, not too exotic, etc.

 

I look at it this way: I probably only have a few days in "X" port before my cruise, but I have 14 days or more onboard ship. Why the rush to investigate/discover/experience the ship all at once at the expense of time ashore?

 

What excites me is being able to see the ancient remains of the city from my table (Rome), or hear local musicians playing while I eat (Athens), or watch Sunday dancers in front of the cathedral (Barcelona) while sampling some local cheese and wine. Those unique experiences stay with me far longer than a generic meal in a generic dining room aboard a generic cruise ship.

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by cruisemom42