Port "walk score" similar to real estate sites

[Dakrew]

Hi all, did some searches of the forums (and the interwebs) and couldn't find anything pertinent. Is there a resource or other site that would have something similar as I mentioned in the title? For those of us on tight budgets or not interested in any of the arranged excursions, I was wondering if there is anything out on the interwebs that someone could point me to with freestyling or "walk score" type guidance. If I were more technically inclined, I would love to set something up along these lines on a point system that fellow cruises would have input into.

 

Walk score: 0-100 (0=Stay aboard, 100=get out there and explore)

 

With descriptors such as below with a point score for each:

City center

Local beaches

Shopping (aside from Port itself)

Historical sites

Views

Local cultural events/displays

Museums

Etc.....

 

Thanks in advance for any pointers....

 

Cheers

[Turtles06]

A couple of sites you might want to look at:

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/

 

https://cruisetohome.net/toms-port-guides/

[mom says]

The links by Turtles06 are a start. In preCOVID days the Ports of Call forums usually had good advice  on independent port sightseeing. As does TripAdvisor (although I take their reviews with several grains of salt). Most places with an active tourist presence will have their own tourism website. 

 

And depending on how far flung your cruise travels, a good up to date guidebook like Lonely Planet or Rough Guides can be a place to start from, before proceeding to specific websites.

 

And don't disregard your Roll Call. There are often veteran cruisers who have visited your ports before and can be a wealth of knowledge.

 

I'm having a hard time getting past the whole "walk score" thing (never heard if it betore) when you consider how many ports are outside the nearest town, or are in an industrial port where you can't just walk off the ship.

[dolittle]

Great idea would love this info We always save the port area for last so no drama of missing the ship.I will add the best we have been to is Naples the port is right in the middle of town .I think Rick Steves Med .cruise book has a page about each port.

[navybankerteacher]

One size does not fit all -- one port might be great for someone to do his own walkabout, while boring others to death.  Do some research - learn what there is to see,  find out if you can do it on your own, get maps and schedules -- in short:  PREPARE.

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

One size does not fit all -- one port might be great for someone to do his own walkabout, while boring others to death.  Do some research - learn what there is to see,  find out if you can do it on your own, get maps and schedules -- in short:  PREPARE.

 

X2.  Back in the good old days I used to mark up paper maps for our walking tours.  A little  research really pays off.   

[zekekelso]

Youtubers ParoDeeJay have done a number of port reviews for the Caribbean that include a score for “how much fun you can have for free or nearly free.”  They also go over common ship and independent tour options. 

[sanger727]

I've downloaded all kinds of free walking guides for various cities. But don't know of a centralized website that includes all kinds of different ones. Just google free walking tour guide for the locations you are interested in doing. Not sure I understand the concept of a point system for this?

[herbanrenewal]

GPS my city website and app. They have prepared self-guided walking tours or you can customize walks in hundreds of cities world wide. You can design your walks around a lot of topics such as museums, shopping, eating, history, etc. The only time i had a bit of trouble with the app was in China where i could not use live gps help with walk that i had customized.

 

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, herbanrenewal said:

GPS my city website and app. They have prepared self-guided walking tours or you can customize walks in hundreds of cities world wide. You can design your walks around a lot of topics such as museums, shopping, eating, history, etc. The only time i had a bit of trouble with the app was in China where i could not use live gps help with walk that i had customized.

 

GPSmycity looks like a winner.  Thanks for sharing.  

[pris993]

On 7/5/2021 at 3:30 PM, Turtles06 said:

A couple of sites you might want to look at:

 

https://www.whatsinport.com/

 

https://cruisetohome.net/toms-port-guides/

We have done self tours in ports all over the Mediterranean... have used the above sites and found them useful.  I also google you tube for new ports I have not been to previously.  Home videos really can give you a lot of info too. 

[Dakrew]

Thanks all for the great info, tips and guidance. We will be checking it all out and doing some involved research for our upcoming cruise. As mentioned, the "walk score" idea was just that, an idea. I have found it a good aide when apartment hunting and window shopping for home buying, thought it would be a good fit for a ports of call resource.

 

Cheers

 

 

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Dakrew said:

Thanks all for the great info, tips and guidance. We will be checking it all out and doing some involved research for our upcoming cruise. As mentioned, the "walk score" idea was just that, an idea. I have found it a good aide when apartment hunting and window shopping for home buying, thought it would be a good fit for a ports of call resource.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

The problem with a "walk score" to me is that I don't tend to base my sightseeing around what is convenient to the port but rather what interests me the most. I do like to plan my own outings, though, and use public transportation rather than arranged tours. In that sense such a "score" might be useful if it included how easy it is not just to walk to a particular destination but to public transportation that will get you there.

 

[pris993]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

The problem with a "walk score" to me is that I don't tend to base my sightseeing around what is convenient to the port but rather what interests me the most. I do like to plan my own outings, though, and use public transportation rather than arranged tours. In that sense such a "score" might be useful if it included how easy it is not just to walk to a particular destination but to public transportation that will get you there.

 

This message also reminds me I have goggled a specific port  web site ... often port sites contain info on public transportation available. 

[donaldsc]

Since everyone has different interests, the idea of a "walk score" is at best useless and and worse will send you to places that you will not like.  One site that might be useful is Tom's Port Guides.  He covers many of the more popular ports and his port descriptions are very detailed.

 

DON

[cruisemom42]

5 hours ago, donaldsc said:

One site that might be useful is Tom's Port Guides.  He covers many of the more popular ports and his port descriptions are very detailed.

 

DON

 

While they may be good, I always recommend checking multiple sources. In the past when I've looked at Tom's guides in some ports they have been incomplete and not always current...

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by cruisemom42