Best port for a ship buff

[navybankerteacher]

41 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

As another ship buff, spending a few days on an island would have no appeal at all, compared to being on a ship.

Well, one would have to decide which was “buffer”:  being on a ship, which would give him great exposure to that one ship and only distant views of others, or being in a port for a few days visited by perhaps a half dozen different ships (for several hours each) each day - with ample opportunity to see them up close from the pier.

[Essiesmom]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well, one would have to decide which was “buffer”:  being on a ship, which would give him great exposure to that one ship and only distant views of others, or being in a port for a few days visited by perhaps a half dozen different ships (for several hours each) each day - with ample opportunity to see them up close from the pier.

BUT…if seeing up close is the object, to photograph them other than from afar, he would need to be on a ship.  Because to get into the pier area, he would have to have a cruise card/sea pass from a ship currently in port.  
  And to the OP, I suggest you book that Bahamas/Caribbean itinerary for November through March.  After that, many lines are dispersing their ships to Europe and Alaska so you won’t see as many ships per day.  EM

[crystalspin]

On 11/22/2022 at 3:02 PM, Canadianian said:

I love ships and would like to do a back to back on at least 2 lines for short duration cruises just because I want to see the ships.  I don't need long cruises just cruises where I get a feel for the ship, the architecture and what makes her tick.  Any suggestions of ports that would be good for this.  Also a port where I can get good photos would be great too.

I'll bite! Is it cruise ships you want to see, or just MANY ships?

 

I will suggest San Diego CA. There is a nearby Naval Base; there is a still-afloat tallmast former slave and immigrant ship (the Star of India) that you can tour;  there is the aircraft carrier Midway museum. I believe the ticket to Star of India also lets you tour a racing yacht on the next dock.

 

As others said, cruises out of SAN tend to be 7-days-ish (Mexican Riviera) or longer (Hawaii) -- it is also a great port for one end or the other of a Panama Canal transit!

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

BUT…if seeing up close is the object, to photograph them other than from afar, he would need to be on a ship.  Because to get into the pier area, he would have to have a cruise card/sea pass from a ship currently in port.  
  ...

That is why I suggested spending a few days on land on St. Maarten -- you can get onto the piers without showing anything, you can get up close to as many as five or six different ships every day, take pictures to your heart's content.

[BklynBoy8]

10 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

As another ship buff, spending a few days on an island would have no appeal at all, compared to being on a ship.

 

Never interested in Nassau

[shipgeeks]

Nor are we interested in Nassau itself, but we always enjoy seeing the other ships as we sail in, as we walk the pier, and as we sail out.  We've been able to see some interesting ship designs walking the pier (and then going back to our ship).

[Zach1213]

Another thing to think about and look in to when you get to larger ports is to look in to port tours. I have done several in places like Xiamen, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Seattle, and Rotterdam where you can take a tour of the city by boat and it includes going back in to the port area and getting pretty close (relatively) to container ships. Heck, in Hamburg, we even got right up close to German Navy ships. 

 

Just something to research if you do end up with a port day at a busy port city. 

[lenquixote66]

On 11/22/2022 at 5:02 PM, Canadianian said:

I love ships and would like to do a back to back on at least 2 lines for short duration cruises just because I want to see the ships.  I don't need long cruises just cruises where I get a feel for the ship, the architecture and what makes her tick.  Any suggestions of ports that would be good for this.  Also a port where I can get good photos would be great too.

Manhattan,NY