Cruises are meant to whisk you away from one idyllic port of call to the next. With so many cruise ports located around the world, some destinations are certainly more popular than others. On the other hand, a handful of cruise ports are infamous for offering a less-than-desirable experience.
A Reddit user recently asked the r/Cruise community, “Big time cruisers - what is one port that you will NEVER go to again?”
In the caption, the poster continued, “Hey cruisers! As a cruise lover (25+ cruises so far), I love introducing cruising to my friends and helping them with questions along the way. My question to you: if you are a big time cruiser, what port would you NEVER visit again and what happened to make you feel this way?”
The thread has garnered over 600 comments from fellow travelers, with many detailing their disappointing, and even scary, situations in different ports of call. With so many comments, a handful of ports were repeatedly mentioned by numerous cruisers.
Here’s a list of cruise ports that longtime travelers say they’d never want to visit again, based entirely on real cruiser experiences shared on Reddit.
Colon, Panama
Among the many responses on Reddit, one of the most common responses was Colon in Panama. For cruisers who have always wanted to visit the Panama Canal, they’ve likely experienced the disappointing and unsafe city of Colon.
Located on the Caribbean coast of Panama, Colon is located at the northern entrance to the world-famous Panama Canal. In this way, the city serves as a gateway port for ships that are transiting the Panama Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
In addition, some Caribbean itineraries include a port stop in Colon, Panama, for a partial transit through the canal. Colon is often used as a starting point for excursions visiting the Gatun Lake or Panama Canal locks. For many, seeing the engineering marvel of the canal is a bucket-list experience.
Unfortunately, the city of Colon leaves a lot to be desired. Many cruisers stated the port itself felt extremely unsafe, and the port lacked development or infrastructure.
“Colon, Panama. High unemployment & resulting crime rates. They built a huge shopping mall adjacent to the port that is mostly empty. We did a tour of Gatun Lake to see waterfowl, sloths and howler monkeys. That was fine, but one and done for me,” reads the top comment.
One cruiser shared, “We had to wait at that sad little mall two hours for our ship to go through the locks to pick us up. The tour guide was from Colon and even she said not to leave that mall under any circumstance.”
“So dangerous!! Nothing there. Panama City wonderful! Colon not so much,” echoed another commenter.
One cruiser even questioned Royal Caribbean’s decision to use Colon as an embarkation port for future itineraries: “We are American expats who live in Panamá. Colon is really sketchy. Royal Caribbean is starting cruises from Colon in October. Almost $1000 base rate for an inside cabin for 7 days?!?!”
“Colon Panama. It was our debarkation port. Complete and utter chaos. People waited out in the blazing sun for hours. The military shouting at people. Never again,” explained another cruiser.
Jamaica
As one of the more popular ports in the Caribbean, Jamaica was repeatedly mentioned as a least favorite destination. The island nation is a staple destination for many Western Caribbean itineraries, with Ocho Rios, Falmouth, and Montego Bay as the three main ports.
Jamaica is often advertised with lush mountains, reggae music, beautiful beaches, and vibrant culture. The Dunn’s River Falls is one of the main attractions. Sadly, many cruisers on Reddit criticized the country for aggressive vendors and described safety concerns with visiting Jamaica.
“Anywhere in Jamaica. Every time I’ve been, I’ve been called a [slur] and have felt completely unsafe. It’s also generally been dirty and full of scammers. And one time we went, and the port was literally on fire lol. We had to turn around and go back out to sea,” states one of the top responses.
Read more: I visited 25 Caribbean destinations on a cruise ship. These are the 4 I'd return to and the 3 I'd skip
One cruiser even shared a scary experience attempting to walk outside of the port area. “Our cruise stopped at Falmouth a few years ago. It was me and my two sons, probably ages 9 and 12 at the time. Once we left the port area, things got sketchy quickly.”
The commenter continued, “There was a uniformed and heavily armed police officer at every corner. We were hounded by people selling stuff. After walking a couple of blocks, we turned around and got back on the ship. To put this experience in perspective, I've walked alone at 1AM in Chicago easily 100 times and felt unsafe only once. Falmouth was an order of magnitude beyond.”
“Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Been once, no desire to go back. Just a super busy shopping center with people yelling at you the entire time,” replied one cruiser. “Went to Falmouth. We did a bus tour. Passed through multiple armed checkpoints. Never again,” stated another responder.
Belize City, Belize
Although not as widely disliked as Jamaica and Colon, Panama, another common response in the Reddit thread was Belize City, Belize. Located on the eastern coast of the country, Belize City is the main port and largest urban area in the country.
For many cruisers, Belize City is a gateway to the country’s renowned Barrier Reef snorkeling, Mayan Ruins, and Cave Tubing. However, Belize City itself is an unpopular destination due to poor infrastructure and inconvenient tendering. Many responders also mention staying onboard in Belize City due to these concerns.
“Belize City. Loooong tender into a pretty lousy port area. Not much around either,” reads one of the top comments.
Additionally, one cruiser shared, “The tours you can do are great, but they're mostly all things where you leave Belize City immediately. It's not a port you'd want to get off in and just walk or drive around exploring the city on your own.”
“We just got back from a cruise with a stop in Belize, it was on Celebrity Equinox, we should have stayed on the ship - we paid a lot I think like $200 each to do the excursion to swim with mana rays and baby sharks and snorkel. It was two long boring boats to get there and then it felt slightly scary in the water with the rays swimming around your feet. There was an emergency nurse on board in case,” explained one cruiser.
“It's been a long time but that port scared me. We had an excursion that we really enjoyed but after that, we stayed on the ship while there.”
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas, might be one of the most visited cruise ports in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s a favorite among cruisers. Because of its close proximity to Florida, Nassau is often included on shorter Caribbean itineraries.
Although the cruise port can be found on many different itineraries, Nassau is infamously unpopular. The main cruise terminal was recently renovated with a $300+ million investment to the pier. Nearby attractions include the Atlantis Paradise Island, Junkanoo Beach, and Queen’s Staircase.
However, multiple commenters in the Reddit thread expressed their disdain for the Bahamian capital, stating they would rather stay on the ship than visit Nassau again.
One responder shared, “Nassau. Not much to do without getting hassled. We’ve done all of the easy stuff: tours around the area, Junkanoo beach, Atlantis, Señor Frogs, Queens Staircase, etc. Ends up being a lovely day to stay on the ship!”
“Crime, annoying vendors, lack of charm, not much to do besides shop for imported crap and drink heavily,” shared one responder. Another cruiser stated, “I can live a fulfilled life without ever needing to go back to Nassau.”
In addition, one cruiser shared, “Nassau by far. High pressure, high price, aggressive street vendors. Felt unsafe.”
“Nassau. It used to be super fun, until the really big ships started docking there. It’s pretty dangerous if you leave the tourist area. Now it’s just dirty sleazy bars & expensive souvenirs,” replied one cruiser.
Costa Maya, Mexico
Considered one of the biggest tourist traps in the Caribbean, Costa Maya is one of the more common ports of call for Western Caribbean sailings. The cruise terminal itself is built entirely for tourists and filled with shops, restaurants, wildlife encounters, a swim-up bar, and live entertainment.
For those wanting to venture outside of the port, excursions are offered to Mayan ruins and the relaxing beach of Mahahual. Regardless, many cruisers expressed their disappointment with the Costa Maya port during their cruise, citing the inauthentic feel.
“Puerto Costa Maya is my least favorite. It's a giant trap to separate you from your money,” replied one cruiser.
Another cruiser echoed, “It’s a total maze to get out of the port area! I hated that.”
“I wouldn’t get off the ship at this port if I ended up there again. We did the Mayan Ruin tour when we were there last time and it was good, but there wasn’t much else to do. It was just a giant shopping mall in the middle of nowhere,” noted another cruiser.
One passenger mentioned, “Costa Maya. We will visit it and there were some good excursions, but you have to beware of credit card theft. There are instances of have you card cloned when you scan at some vendors then they start buying things with your card.”
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
While some cruisers rave about their experience in Cabo San Lucas, not everyone was impressed by this port of call. Located on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, Cabo San Lucas is known for its iconic landscapes, beautiful beaches, and beachside parties.
However, for some, the cruise experience in Cabo San Lucas was underwhelming, with pushy locals and aggressive salespeople. Others find the port to lack authentic Mexican culture with too many tourist shops. Additionally, lengthy and uncomfortable tendering operations worsen the experience for many.
“Cabo. For the hundredth time I don’t want to buy a bracelet or [terrible] jewelry,” commented one cruiser. One Redditor replied, “Cabo is Taco Bell with jewelry shops and fishing charters. Not Mexico, at all.”
Read more: I hadn’t cruised from the West Coast in 15 years. I had a great time, but I’m not sure I would do it again
“Also Cabo. Tendering in was [horrible] on extremely rough waters and there is absolutely nothing to do in the port area unless you book an excursion,” explained another cruiser.
“They are aggressive in Cabo. We stopped there on a cruise and the people selling stuff wouldn’t leave us alone.”
Cartagena, Colombia
For Southern Caribbean itineraries, most sailings include a visit to Cartagena, Colombia. This port city is known for its vibrant and authentic culture, along with its colonial architecture, historic walled city, local markets, and colorful streets.
In addition, the city’s Historic Old Town, Ciudad Amurallada, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The walled city is perfectly preserved with cobblestones, plazas, churches, and colorful buildings. However, the vendors can be aggressive, which can leave some cruisers feeling overwhelmed and unsafe.
“Cartagena. Vendors swarmed our excursion bus when we stopped at the fort. They shook the bus and climbed up to the windows to show their wares,” detailed one responder. Another replied similarly, “Cartagena, Colombia. Horrible street vendors.”
“Cartagena. I’ve never felt unsafe on a cruise until we went there. Step a foot outside the port and it’s scary. Aggressiveness was off the charts.”
One cruiser replied, “We’ve had vendors walk behind us all the way to the bus trying to get us to buy whatever we said no to! Crazy!”
“One port we didn't enjoy at all was an excursion in Cartagena, Colombia. If you ever go there, do tours that take you away from the walled part of the city. We did a tour there and the venders swarmed us the whole time. Our guide did nothing to help so the only time we were away from them was when we were able to go inside somewhere,” described another cruiser.
“Cartagena Colombia. Street vendors are just way too over the top aggressive,” shared one responder.
Santorini, Greece
As one of the most picturesque ports in the Mediterranean, Santorini is an island in Greece. Known for its iconic blue-domed churches, stunning cliffside views, and quaint village of Oia, Santorini is often considered a bucket-list destination for many.
Because of its popularity, many itineraries around the Greek Isles include a port stop in Santorini. However, some cruisers found the small island to be overcrowded and difficult to navigate. Given the island’s rocky landscape, cruisers typically need to take a cable car ride, walk the steep steps, or ride a donkey while visiting the tender port.
“Probably an unpopular opinion - I’d say Santorini - too sad to see the donkeys taking passengers up and down the cliffs, and the queue to the cable car is too long. Ok views at the top but quite dirty in general,” replied one traveler.
In addition, one cruiser shared, "I agree with you… Santorini is our least favorite port… crowded! And the wait to go down to the dock on the cable car was long (40 minutes) and we were the only ship in port that day. People should definitely watch YouTube videos to acquaint themselves with this port.”
“Surprised most of these are Caribbean, would assume big time cruisers would have gotten bored with that. I'll throw out Santorini, beautiful (especially Oia) but way too many people and way too commercial,” stated another cruiser.
One cruiser shared, “It was my first cruise and we did the excursion with RCI, we got tender to the old port I believe then bus the whole way up till we got to Oia, on our way to Fira we did a wine tasting. I think we waited an hour to an hour and an half to get down with the cable car.”
