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]DH and I honeymooned in St. Petersburg in 2003. I did the visa paperwork and it wasn't bad- we had to get an invitation from the hotel, which they provided easily, and I needed an itinerary from a travel agent. We didn't have a travel agent but it was pretty easy to create an itinerary! We were there for a week- great visit.[/b]
Good point on avoiding some of the bureaucracy, though. When my small cruise ship was passing from Panama to Costa Rica overnight they collected our passports the night before. In the morning the Customs and Immigration people boarded the ship, processed everything and we got our passports back at breakfast. No waiting in line!
That's great to know as I'd love to do a land vacation there for about 10 days, take the train to Moscow as well
It doesn’t appeal to me at all. People seem to love or hate cruises, very few in the middle.
My one friend that loves cruises is not the physically active type, she is more of a couch potato. Not knocking her, but cruising might be more for those who are looking for a very low key trip.
Cruising is whatever you want it to be. You can be very active without ever leaving the ship. Many active seniors do their laps on the Promenade Deck and you'd better get out of the way or they'll run you down.
Of course there are always excursions for the able-bodied. It just depends on what interests you.
Okay so cruise ships go to a bunch of ports and it's really just like transportation to these places?
I thought you just go out and be on a boat.
On those types of cruises you generally miss the nightlife of the resort location and gain the local tours of multiple locations during the daytime. For some that feel the need for the clubs and nightlife there are the small casinos, lounges and bars about the ship and you are probably safer than club hopping and gambling in foreign land.
Now the quality of the live entertainment, restaurants and buffets, 24 hour fast food, clubs and casinos might not meet what you can get by going to a specialty venue in a big city or resort location but in trade all that food comes included and you get a daytime sample of the resort locations/port cities.
OP, I agree with you. I have done one cruise in my life, and I was bored to tears. I found the shore excursions far to brief and superficial. The food was mediocre. To me is is like staying at an upper middle class hotel and mostly not being allowed to leave the building.
Others like them, but as with anything else, we all have different preferences. My preference is never to go on another cruise.
Haven't checked this section of C-D for quite awhile, decided to come back, see what's going on (if anything).
I cruise, have been since 1982, seven with a friend, 25 by myself. I find it is an ideal way to see places, not be alone in big cities. I haven't gone to Caribbean since 2007, won't get onboard for less than 14 days.
Hoping to get back to cruising in Nov. a Med cruise from Rome, than a transatlantic from Barcelona, 26 days. Princess has a new ship, Enchanted, I've been wanting to take.
I get the idea of going to places like jamaica but if rather fly and spend more time there than hanging out at clubs and pools. I can do that here.
The advantage is that you can see lots of different countries, and travel from place to place as you sleep, waking in the next port - and ready to explore. You eliminate all that wasted time on buses or at airports.
Examples:
1) Greece to Turkey cruise had us visiting four Greek Islands and one in Turkey, along with the “bookends” of Athens and Istanbul.
2) Barcelona to Rome cruise had us hit a port in Spain, two in France, Monaco, the northern tip of Africa, and two more in Italy.
No way anyone could cover that much ground without cruising. Then add in the lovely evenings after a day exploring - a five-course dinner followed by a show, or perhaps the casino - and it’s a great vacation.
It’s much more than just transportation. It includes all meals, entertainment, usually a couple of relaxing days at sea, often expert lecturers in advance of the ports, and the like.
I sit in my lounge chair, reading and looking at the sea. I look up, and the waiter has my glass of champagne waiting. Ah!
We tell the maître d' that we would like a mushroom risotto for dinner. At 7pm we proceed to the club for cocktails, music and dancing. At 8 pm we enter the beautifully decorated dining room and the risotto is served. After dinner, we attend a wonderful concert performed by a magnificent pianist.
In the morning, the fresh coffee and croissants are delivered to our stateroom. We enjoy both whilst watching the sea from our balcony.
We disembark at the port of Palermo and have a car take us to Monreale. After our guide describes the cathedral and the surrounding area, we return to the ship for a light lunch eaten outdoors.
Either you get it or you don't. I love the service and luxury on the ship, coupled with a variety of ports. Most of my cruises have been 3-4 weeks long. People don't get bored, they are boring.
I only sail on small ships; the mega ships have rock climbing walls, full size basketball courts, bumper cars, water slides and lots of other things in which I have no interest. I like to relax, meet interesting people, visit a few new ports, and enjoy excellent accommodations and high quality food.
The advantage is that you can see lots of different countries, and travel from place to place as you sleep, waking in the next port - and ready to explore. You eliminate all that wasted time on buses or at airports.
Examples:
1) Greece to Turkey cruise had us visiting four Greek Islands and one in Turkey, along with the “bookends” of Athens and Istanbul.
2) Barcelona to Rome cruise had us hit a port in Spain, two in France, Monaco, the northern tip of Africa, and two more in Italy.
No way anyone could cover that much ground without cruising. Then add in the lovely evenings after a day exploring - a five-course dinner followed by a show, or perhaps the casino - and it’s a great vacation.
I understand that I am on the cruising sub-forum, and my thoughts are definitely going to be in the minority. But, given the title of this particular thread, I hope that you will not think my response is out of line.
Port calls are typically limited in time, and time is spent getting on and off the ship. You imply that the ship only moves from 10pm-8am (or whatever), but in reality more time is spent on the ship than that.
The area that you can explore on port calls is also pretty limited. You are mostly limited to walking/taxi in the very local area, or prebooked excursions. I find that rather limiting.
I was in Spain and Morocco in January 2020. I visited 3 cities in Spain, and one in Morrocco. Setting aside my trans Atlantic flights, I spent very little time in transit. I took high speed rail from Seville to Cordoba, then to Malaga. There was no waiting at the train station, the train rides were very pleasant and I got to see the countryside, and it was fairly brief as well.
A quick flight to Marrakesh, and several more days exploring. A fund train ride to Casablanca, and a flight home.
Overall, not much more transit than you had, and way more time on shore.
I have also done trips in Italy, Turkey and other places. The occasional train ride, or short airline hop, doesn't take too much time, and you get to spend up to a week in a city to poke around.
I am glad you enjoy cruising, and I would not want to dissuade you from doing so. I am just objecting to your characterization of other types of vacation as wasteful of time, or with no ability to see multiple areas.
I have enjoyed many land based vacations and many cruises. They are different experiences; each has a time and place for enjoyment. Sometimes I enjoy listening to Woody Guthrie and sometimes I prefer Mahler's Fifth Symphony. Neither is "better" than the other; they are different and non-comparable.
If you don't enjoy cruises, don't cruise. Fortunately, no one is forced to "enjoy" someone else's pleasures.
"The area that you can explore on port calls is also pretty limited. You are mostly limited to walking/taxi in the very local area, or prebooked excursions. I find that rather limiting." This is untrue. Many people DIY at the ports. For example, from Lisbon, it is very easy to take the train to the Queluz-Belas station and visit the National Palace of Queluz on one's own without a formal excursion or a prebooked tour. In addition, many times the ship will overnight or spend several days at a port which allows for more extensive land touring.
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