Your point is a good one, but the reality is exactly the opposite. Not
knowing where things are or even what thing are worth visiting in a
new place is a big frustration. It just ain't the case on the ship
most of the time, or it's a case of mind over matter. (If you don't
mind, it doesn't matter). Here's why.
The one day port call is for checking out a new place, nothing more or
less! The top tier cruise lines know this and make it very easy.
Remember the high level of service you are paying for on these ships.
This extends to support in port. Often, a half day or full day
excursion from the ship--recommended for "exotic" locations where
wandering around might be impractical or for attractions distant to
the port--will do the trick for a quick look at the "top" sight that
can be further explored on a future lengthy visit or often just to
"see" a place you probably didn't expect to ever set foot in and
definitely not want to be on one's own in. Examples of the former
might be, say, a port call at Granada, Spain for a day excursion to
Granada and a dedicated visit to the Alhambra. The call at Malaga
would be very different than traveling for a week or more in Spain,
but you'd at least see what the Alhambra is all about. I prefer full
day excursions when they concentrate on a special attraction, but I
avoid the excursions that combine many sights but add a long lunch.
Alternatively, on the last cruise we took the local train from the
port of Civitavecchia to Rome (the tour desk on the ship had schedules
and prices) and explored this somewhat familiar city for as long that
day as we wanted since the ship was in port until midnight. It was a
nice visit for Barbara who had not been there before as we "hit" the
four major tourist attractions. We deemed that an all day excursion to
Rome from the ship was inappropriate, by the way, since a whirlwind
visit that included one hour in the Vatican Museum would be just
frustrating. I avoid the ship excursions that include museum stops, as
a rule, since it is usually easier to get a cab at the port or have
the ship's tour concierge arrange a private car if there's "something"
I just have to see. But ship's excursions are the first choice for
newcomers. Silversea runs a video continuously with descriptions and
photos of the attractions of each port and guidelines for visiting
them as well as for the tours offered.
Examples of the "exotic" cruise port visits abound on the small ship
itineraries. We made the one day excursion from Port Said to Cairo and
spent the day at the step (older) and pointy (not quite as old but
more famous) pyramids. Chances are that you and I are beyond the time
of bopping to Egypt on our own for independent exploration. Barbara
saw the major sights in Jerusalem with no hassle on her all day
excursion from Ashdod, and of course in past years I've been to Dar Es
Salem, Aden, obscure islands in the Maldives, and taken weird and
fascinating trains in Indonesia and Majorca. These are activities that
would have taken some planning and even knowing they existed and being
able to book them while I was there on independent travel there might
not have been possible. Ship offered half day excursions usually give
you a mindless view of what the place is about, and then you can go
back into the town after lunch on board and explore further until "all
aboard time".
Cruises allow you to go BACK for to places you've never expected to
have seen even once. Seeing Taormina again was lovely. However, I
doubt I would have gone independently in Sicily this year--there are
so many other destinations to check out--and if I were to be in Sicily
on my own I would probably not have the time or inclination revisit a
place I had already been. But this stop allowed me to be able to take
that cab up to Caselmola, something I had wanted to do "the next time
I was there." We also had a beer in a cafe and watched at Sicilian
wedding. All those black suits. Just being there is often most of the
fun. We choose walking around Taormina, taking the cab, and drinking
the beer instead of a drive up Mt. Etna on a tour. What's there to
discuss. I'd rather smell marzipan than sulfur.
The point of my essay is that a one day (or even a ship's overnight)
visit to a place on a cruise should be approached as an entirely
completely different opportunity than a hotel stay on one's own. Yes,
there are limitations of arriving on a ship that usually arrives at 8
am and leaves at 6 pm, but some research before leaving home and the
shipboard lectures and pre-cruise briefing materials usually provide
enough information. You can choose a ship provided excursion, wander
the town (the "S" lines usually provide free shuttle buses to the
center of town if walking from the port isn't practical) or purposely
hitting one or two tourist sites if you want. But it's very satisfying
to just sit in a cafe saying, "Wow, I'm having an ouzo in a taverna in
too hot but very sleepy Gythion, wherever that is, and now it's time
to go back to the ship for dinner." My technique is to find an
activity that is practical and appropriate in each port. I plan in
advance for an orientation or lengthy ship's excursion, a long walk in
the city (a visit to Lisbon comes to mind where I visited the Tourist
Bureau and asked for a tram ride that was particularly interesting,
and it was), or even buy an all day transit pass and ride the metro to
an outlying park to take a hike, as I did--twice--in visits to Oslo.
In most ports, Silversea and I suspect the other "S" lines, brings on
a local tourist bureau representative who will give you a map, tell
you where the bus stop is at the port and more importantly how to pay
for it, and work out a quick itinerary for whatever you want to do. A
little review of a guide book before leaving home helps this method to
be very satisfying. But just walking the back alleys of some medieval
city you've never heard of and ignoring the museums because the
weather is so nice and, look, there's a nice cafe for a
unpronounceable brand beer is very nice, too.
Visiting by ship is a different experience, and understanding that to
make the most of it usually results in as good or better an experience
than the hotel visit. But it is different and trying to make one way
of visiting into the other can be a way of disappointing yourself.
Understanding the difference of a ship's call can result in an
extraordinary and fantastic experience. Sometimes you find that you
don't need to ever see a place again. (See my notes on Limassol.) And
yes, I've been to India for a total now of about three weeks. It was
very different from visiting independently, for sure, but I've
accumulated three days in Bombay, Goa, Mangalore, and Cuchin. I think
I've seen a bit of that wonderful country, and did it in great style
and with a lot less stress.
Hope this helps. I will be most interested in helping you choose a
"first timers" cruise line, ship, and itinerary. Maybe come along and
introduce you to the bartenders. Now, that takes some orientation.
Best,
Mike
On Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 4:38 AM, David Borenstein
<dborenstein@verizon.net> wrote:
> Mike: Your essay was most interesting to read and, I suspect, rewarding for
> you to write. I plan to read it again. You, too, might want to revisit the
> subject since we all change over time, as do our likes and dislikes. I
> agree with you that 'it's the ship', even though I've never been on a
> cruise. The ports of call are important too, but there are better ways to
> get to know these places. My (admittedly more limited) traveling experience
> has taught me that the first day in a new place, however fascinating, is
> usually marred by not knowing your way around. To me, that's the weakest
> link in a cruise...every port visit is a first day. I still hope to take a
> cruise while I'm still on my feet, and you'll be a most valuable resource in
> helping choose an appropriate one.
>
> Dave
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