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The Worst Caribbean Ports of Call for Cruises
Yahoo ^ | December 11, 2014 | Melinda Crow

Posted on 12/11/2014 7:47:47 AM PST by C19fan

It’s dreary outside and you find yourself dreaming of an escape to the Caribbean. You long for turquoise water and sugar-sand beaches, with plenty of activities to take your mind off work. Cruises offer the perfect smorgasbord of beaches, shopping, scenery, and fun things that you can’t do at home, all served up with a fruity, umbrella-topped beverage. But not every port lives up to the image in your dreams. To help you choose your next cruise itinerary — or rather, figure out which places to avoid — Yahoo Travel did some digging around and found the Caribbean ports with the worst reputations.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Travel
KEYWORDS: caribbean; cruise
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To: woodbutcher1963

I found that showering in the late afternoon, the fresh water in the holding tank was warm enough for a tepid scrub. The toilet paper roll above the shower head was somewhat of a stretch.

Before a male versus female beer drinking contest, we were presented with the beer; warm, well-shaken Guiness. One of the women, a young hottie from Staten Island, allowed as how she wasn’t going to get “than nasty crap” on her new bikini so she jumped up, stripped, and joined the contest.


41 posted on 12/11/2014 11:58:31 AM PST by MisterArtery
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To: trisham

“Down islands” in the Caribbean is going to be be completely different from Bermuda.


42 posted on 12/11/2014 12:13:40 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: FreedomPoster

That’s the impression I’m getting!


43 posted on 12/11/2014 12:21:41 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: MisterArtery
We were on the Flying Cloud. It was based in Road Town, Tortola, BVI. Last I heard it was down in Trinidad and about half submerged. :(

We were thinking about going on the Polynesia but we heard that sometimes the passage between the southern islands could get pretty rough. I always have wanted to go the St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Have also heard that Dominica is the prettiest island down there. I would also like to go to Nevis. I heard that was nice.

There was a book written about the sinking of that ship during hurricane Mitch(the last class 5).

Have any of the Windjammer ships survived?

44 posted on 12/11/2014 1:26:29 PM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: MisterArtery

“The British settled islands were the worst.”

With the exception of Jamaica, I always thought the French islands were the worst, and the English the best. I have never been on any of the Dutch.


45 posted on 12/11/2014 1:30:35 PM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: C19fan

I will say if there’s one island I do recommend it’s Aruba. Such divergent landscapes for such a small island.


46 posted on 12/11/2014 1:31:33 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: woodbutcher1963

“Big cruise ships are for cattle. You get what you pay for.”

Cattle don’t get a great un-hurried dinner at their reserved table and an after-dinner show every night.


47 posted on 12/11/2014 1:36:23 PM PST by TexasGator
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To: MisterArtery

http://saildivebvi.com/serendipity/archives/1627-Windjammer-Flying-Cloud-not-to-be-sunk-in-the-BVI.html

Flying Clouds last resting place in Trinidad shipyard


48 posted on 12/11/2014 1:47:14 PM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: FreedomPoster
Bermuda is much more developed than any of the down islands in the Caribbean. The only thing close would probably be Grand Cayman. The per capita income on most of the other islands is very low. Depending on the island some are very poor. Some of the less developed islands are also very pretty.

This is why I have always liked the British Virgin Islands.
The BVI residents are fairly wealthy. They do not let foreign corporations buy land there. There are no casinos. They have almost no crime. They speak English and use US currency. There do not tolerate drug traffickers. There are no high rise hotels. It is also relatively easy to get to. It is a 35 minute flight from San Juan, PR. They are a 1 hour ferry ride from St. Thomas airport.

49 posted on 12/11/2014 2:06:36 PM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: woodbutcher1963
We were on the Norwegian Dawn, and it was lovely. Here's a picture from our room looking toward Boston:

The service was excellent.

50 posted on 12/11/2014 2:12:22 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: dfwgator

We have friends who love Aruba.


51 posted on 12/11/2014 2:13:10 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: trisham

If you haven’t made up your mind yet, I would like to suggest Great Exuma, one of the Bahama “Out Islands.” The main town is Georgetown. Or if you are Sailing, Elizabeth Harbor. I don’t think I saw it mentioned on this thread; but as a sailor who has cruised the Islands, I can tell you that the Exumas are a favorite destination for many people in the Know. You can google it for hotels and further info. Best Regards,


52 posted on 12/11/2014 2:22:32 PM PST by Desparado
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To: Desparado

Thank you very much, Desparado!


53 posted on 12/11/2014 2:25:43 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: All
This is what awaited me after dinner in our room:

The service really was excellent.

54 posted on 12/11/2014 2:43:33 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: trisham
I’ve never cruised to the Caribbean, but I’m thinking about it after my first cruise,....

You would enjoy the winter Caribbean weather especially going down there from New England.
The Caribbean doesn't cool off much at night. Something hard for a New Englander to get used too. And that's a good thing.

You can vaction on a cruise ship or on a Caribbean Island resort, or by chartering your own boat with friends to sail around different places. I have done all of those things.

Personally I like to go the end of February and come back in March. Then I feel like the back of the winter weather has been broken. Good Luck. - Tom

55 posted on 12/11/2014 2:57:43 PM PST by Capt. Tom (Don't confuse U.S. citizens and Americans. They are not necessarily the same. -tom)
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To: Capt. Tom

Thanks, Tom!


56 posted on 12/11/2014 2:58:46 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: trisham

It looks like you had one of the more expensive staterooms on the ship. I do not think I have ever seen a deck/balcony that big on a cruise ship.


57 posted on 12/12/2014 6:06:14 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: trisham

Trisham,

If you are thinking about going to the Caribbean for the first time, I would suggest you look up the article I just read in Newsmax magazine. It was in this months issue. It was about the smaller ship cruise companies that rank the highest in customer satisfaction. They tend to be less than 400 passengers. Also, their staff to passenger ratio is a lot higher than the bigger ships. These smaller ships also visit harbors that the big ships can not enter(no big dock). You will get a better taste of places that most people only visit on a private or rented yacht.

I am sure these cruises are more expensive, but you do really get what you paid for. Ask the people who went on these Carnival cruises where the ship came down with the norovirous how their vacation was. I would also suggest a cruise that takes you around/between the US/British Virgin Islands. These islands are all grouped very close together(2 -3 miles). Therefore, you are never really exposed to the open ocean, potential high seas and sea sickness :(
This is why the US/BVI’s tend to be the sailing mecca of the Caribbean. You can sail between the islands and you are not exposed to the potential large waves of the open Atlantic Ocean.

The other issues I have never ran into in the BVI’s is the black/white hated you will experience on islands like Jamaica. Many of the Jamaicans do not like white people. It is just the way they were raised. You will get more of this on St. Croix and St Thomas than you will in the BVI’s. The main reason for this is US welfare. There is no welfare in the Caribbean other than the US VI’s and Puerto Rico. On the rest of the islands, if you want to eat, you need to work. This attracts a certain type of person to the US VI’s(lazy people). St. John, US VI does not seem to have as much of this.


58 posted on 12/12/2014 6:30:51 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: dfwgator
I will say if there’s one island I do recommend it’s Aruba. Such divergent landscapes for such a small island.

If you like Aruba I think you would love Curacao. Willemstad is an absolutely beautiful city. The countryside is about the same as Aruba's is.

59 posted on 12/12/2014 6:41:56 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: woodbutcher1963

Thank you very much, woodbutcher. I do appreciate your thoughtful and informative reply.


60 posted on 12/12/2014 8:14:40 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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