I had a good experience in Falmouth- after our excursion- my wife and I walked around town looking at the historic structures like churches, forts and colonial buildings
Last year we had a dozen ladies that commented they were not going to get off in Nassau because they were concerned. Told them I was going off because I taken dive groups there so many times it was nothing new, but told them I would show them around. We didn't have trouble and with me there they felt emboldened to tell off the few people who didn't take a polite no for an answer. It was a nice day.
My family is from the Caribbean. My uncle worked for a bank, and every few years was sent to a different island. He always said Jamaica has the most aggressive people. While they were there for a long time, they were very happy when they could leave. And this was in the 1970s/80s.
i follow your other channel, and at least you're honest with your viewers. I appreciate your videos because they give me a "guest perspective", not a travel agent's view. Thanks for the heads up on La Romana. I had a shore excursion planned, but I cancelled it and will probably stay on the ship and nurse my Embarkation Day hangover. If I wanted a police escort, I sure as hell don't want to pay for it!
If these ports are so dangerous why do cruise ships still go there ? Thanks for the warnings and updates. You Both are honest and I for one trust what you are warning us about. Safe travels and be safe. ❤😊❤
Went to Belize for this Thanksgiving, many of the things he mentioned are universal in the Caribbean, and shouldn't take away from the beauty of the culture, land, and people in Belize.
Right on, depending on ur’ tolerance of course. Next cruise in the Caribbean with 90 years young mum 😀. We are staying aboard on all ports of call. We’re going in order to enjoy the all experiences on the ship -👍
I do agree with Falmouth, Jamaica. Was there in 2016 and the tour guides went "rouge" on the excursion through the ship took us to multiple shops that were unplanned and a mom and pop restaurant for a wildly extra charge barely made it back to the ship in time
I definitely agree with Nassau. Been there 3 times in the last 25 years. It went from a cultural experience to New York City and tourist trap. Never going back there again.
Last month in Falmouth a fellow cruiser purchased a garment for his daughter and the shop lady cursed him out for not buying something for himself. Then they made the mistake of paying for a taxi round trip up front to the beach when he picked them up he was drunk and almost missed the boat.
We went with the cruise line excursion to the Mayan ruins in Belize. An armed police officer rode with us. Had to pass through a couple of checkpoints on the highway, they stopped and checked every car. We were waved through because we had police onboard. In Jamaica encountered very aggressive vendors at Dunns River Falls. Belize and Jamaica are 2 places we never have to return to.
I have only been to Nassau, we did an organized excursion and we enjoyed it, but it is very much a stick to the port area or take an excursion port. There are some amazing places to see on the island but they are either very pricey or they are a long way away. The area just outside the gated port area is run down and does not feel safe to walk through. There is an upscale area that if you are in a larger group you could make it too toward the Margaritaville resort, but that area is not authentic at all. I would suggest taking a guided tour if you really want to see things and not have to worry too much. But most tours all go to a lot of the same places so you can price compare and usually come out OK. We went to John Watling's Distillery which is a historical site with a large shop and tasting room attached, a local tea shop that had a garden in the back where they had most of the plants that were in their teas, and then we visited a smaller straw market that was near the Baha Mar resort, this was nearly abandoned on the day we were there so while there were not many vendors we did not feel overwhelmed at all and basically had the entire market for our van full to explore, the tour included a lunch at a tourist spot which was OK, but we also drove around and saw many sites and the nicer areas on the island away from the port area. Our tour guide was great and took great care of us. There is also often music and performers busking in the port area and there is a museum at the port on Junkanoo which is a Bahamian carnival/mardi gras tradition. So there are some things there worth seeing and you can easily just get back on your ship whenever you are ready.
Hey Ben. Looking fabulous you are. I’ve been to all these ports through the years and never felt unsafe. Why do ppl use ATM’s on ships and islands? Withdraw your money at home no fee. I only use cash in ports. Will have my card with me for emergency but am not pulling out that card. The best shops are the ones associated with the ships and you pay with your keycard and they deliver the items to the ship. Sorry you were verbally abused in Jamaica 😢. I understand everyone is trying to make a living and sell their merch but one I say no thank you , don’t keep asking or following me or become verbally disrespectful. Thank goodness I have not experienced that but I have seen it happen to others. Thanks Ben 🤗
We been to La Romana , it was pretty scary, we took the tourist train on the way back to port and had a police escort , got told politely not to go down certain roads , also montego bay me and my parents did not like it , I got hit on by a female which i did not like in Jamaica , for most Caribbean ports we just stayed around the port shops
If I ever cruise again on a Bahamas stop I'm not waisting my time getting of the cruise, its boring and you can quickly find yourself in the seedy parts of town.
I am on a cruise that subbed Labadie Haiti for Falmouth. I had second thoughts about keeping it and now that I am past final payment kinda stuck. Oh well.
Would agree that Belize City itself is nothing much to write home about. Alten Ha is definitely worth a look though. Completely agree about Nassau. It's not a bad place. Just very commercial and a very frequent stop. Falmouth is what it is. I don't think the port authority really wants you to leave the terminal to be honest. At least there is something there, unlike at Montego Bay.
I completely agree about Belize City. Curious to explore more, I left the center but was immediately surrounded by men aggressively pushing tours and sketchy offers within seconds. I felt unsafe and tense as a solo female traveler. I ended up loudly repeating 'No Thanks!' as I hustled back to the shopping center. They followed me and only stopped once I was back inside the shopping center. This was the most unsafe I have ever felt in any port. Advice to all: There is no reason to walk around in Belize City. It's run down, shabby and unsafe.
Add Roatan -- Coxen Hole Port. If you have the misfortune of docking in Coxen Hole and not Mahogany Bay, do not choose to go from a walk on Main Street. We made that mistake. We found a run-down, dirty town with narrow streets. We stopped to sit down in a very small park and a small child approached us trying to sell cigarettes. We got the strong impression that we were about to be set up by someone lurking in the shadows. We left as quickly as we could. We immediately went back to the ship.
Honestly these days I would not venture off the beaten path at any Caribbean port. We will only sail the southern Caribbean for the beauty of those islands and their beaches. No Western Caribbean…any Mexico port, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican, Trinidad---gang violence there recently as well as Haiti…not sure why Royal Caribbean stops there still, San Juan….I just won’t sail there. Too many other destinations in the world.
Belize City, Belize La Romana, Dominican Republic Nassau, The Bahamas Freeport, The Bahamas Falmouth, Jamaica Saved you 12 minutes lol. Wish the creator added Chapters.
Also, the comments about Jamaica, are just cultural norms and regarding the weed, as a religious experience. If you head 30 minutes outside of the port you will realize that the government has basically given up on its people, leaving them in poverty. The healthcare system is one of the most corrupt, leading to malpractice. In patios, they have the word "Babylon" meaning the corrupt government and police system. I however will not tolerate and defend the hate towards the lgbtq+ community that is prevalent on the island. However, it is not a cultural norm for the people of the island we should approach this situation with open minds and acceptance because love is love and that's all that matters. I thank both ben and David for sharing the truth as it is, and would not like this comment to feel like an attack on anyone.
Progresso, Mexico is another one. Definitely a 3rd World Country. We walked around one block and returned to the ship quick. Nothing for us. Vendors pushing their stuff, won't leave you alone. Definitely won't be getting off the ship again.
Honest choices. Nassau is an awweine port, but like you said, it is a victim of its own success. I get why it's on the list but I personally wouldn't put it on, it's an anomaly compared to other ports and regular cruisers are very unfair to it because they have been there so many times but still never left the port area😂. The warnings for safety are copy and paste for the past 20 years so and its not anymore dangerous than other popular ports. Those guys downtown sell fake drugs it's why they kinda get away lol. Its probably one of the safest ports. Just run down in parts that give a false impression. There is lots to do you just may have to spend more money rent a car or atv or catch a cab. However perception is reality for some people. To be fair you usually don't have a ton of time to go to the better, less crowded beaches in Nassau. Nassau has way better reviews for those who fly in. Freeport is a similar case where the things to do are not close by the port like the host states. At least carnival is building a port closer to where the better beaches are on grand bahama further away from Freeport.
30 years ago in Belize City was the only time I have been robbed on a shore walk about. Also at that time they had open sewers. Also while docked over night the ship had crew with automatic weapons stationed on the deck all night long.
This being the second review that you downed the Caribbean locations I must assume that you have something personal against locations that others don’t have. These places have been cruise stops for decades. Most people know that these countries are some of the poorest nations in the WORLD. Experienced cruisers know that they will be approached to buy the usual resort trinkets. If these places were truly as bad as you report then I’m shore the many cruise ship companies that come there would give express instructions to avoid the place. But the creasers continue to come back. Many experienced crossers know how to say “NO” to overly aggressive hackers of trinkets. You must have had numerous rough run lines with people from these locations that mad it necessary for you to continuedly bad mouth and down grade these locations. Have you ever asked the cruses companies why they continue to come back to these so called entirely dangerous places??? Or is these some other reason you continue to kick these places in the teeth in your reviews.
What a painful thing to read through. Hard to take your comments seriously with the heinous grammatical errors and when you misspelled ‘cruises/cruisers’ three times in a row - as creasers, crossers, and cruses? They’re speaking from experience, especially Jamaica, and official warnings from governments to their citizens. Many people watching these videos are not experienced cruisers, as you seem to be obsessed with noting, and might wrongly assume the cruise ship wouldn’t take them to a place where it isn’t exactly safe to walk outside the main port area. Obviously a traveller should take routine precautions but it’s good to let people know where they might have to pay extra attention.
Now do the 5 best ports! This was a great video
1. Belize City
2. La Romana, Dominican Republic
3. Nassau
4. Freeport
5. Falmouth Jamaica
I had a good experience in Falmouth- after our excursion- my wife and I walked around town looking at the historic structures like churches, forts and colonial buildings
Last year we had a dozen ladies that commented they were not going to get off in Nassau because they were concerned. Told them I was going off because I taken dive groups there so many times it was nothing new, but told them I would show them around. We didn't have trouble and with me there they felt emboldened to tell off the few people who didn't take a polite no for an answer. It was a nice day.
Hair looks great!! The total change has made you appear younger and more vital. Not to mention the confident demeanor!!!
Thanks for another great video. And you look FANTASTIC!! ❤
Agree and had same experience in Jamaica we will never get off the ship there ever again. Avoid cruises that go there when we can.
My family is from the Caribbean. My uncle worked for a bank, and every few years was sent to a different island. He always said Jamaica has the most aggressive people. While they were there for a long time, they were very happy when they could leave. And this was in the 1970s/80s.
i follow your other channel, and at least you're honest with your viewers. I appreciate your videos because they give me a "guest perspective", not a travel agent's view. Thanks for the heads up on La Romana. I had a shore excursion planned, but I cancelled it and will probably stay on the ship and nurse my Embarkation Day hangover. If I wanted a police escort, I sure as hell don't want to pay for it!
If these ports are so dangerous why do cruise ships still go there ? Thanks for the warnings and updates. You Both are honest and I for one trust what you are warning us about.
Safe travels and be safe. ❤😊❤
Went to Belize for this Thanksgiving, many of the things he mentioned are universal in the Caribbean, and shouldn't take away from the beauty of the culture, land, and people in Belize.
I was in Belize in early October. I just stayed in the shopping area and had no problems. Had lunch in D'Bourbon Barrel.
Right on, depending on ur’ tolerance of course.
Next cruise in the Caribbean with 90 years young mum 😀. We are staying aboard on all ports of call. We’re going in order to enjoy the all experiences on the ship -👍
I do agree with Falmouth, Jamaica. Was there in 2016 and the tour guides went "rouge" on the excursion through the ship took us to multiple shops that were unplanned and a mom and pop restaurant for a wildly extra charge barely made it back to the ship in time
Thank you. Good to know about Freeport
We couldn't agree more. I had to lead a group of passengers back to the ship in Ocho Rios because of their safety concerns.
Great video. Do you guys prefer Eastern, Western or Southern Carribean areas?
I definitely agree with Nassau. Been there 3 times in the last 25 years. It went from a cultural experience to New York City and tourist trap. Never going back there again.
Last month in Falmouth a fellow cruiser purchased a garment for his daughter and the shop lady cursed him out for not buying something for himself. Then they made the mistake of paying for a taxi round trip up front to the beach when he picked them up he was drunk and almost missed the boat.
Great info.
We went with the cruise line excursion to the Mayan ruins in Belize. An armed police officer rode with us. Had to pass through a couple of checkpoints on the highway, they stopped and checked every car. We were waved through because we had police onboard.
In Jamaica encountered very aggressive vendors at Dunns River Falls. Belize and Jamaica are 2 places we never have to return to.
I concur about Dunns River. They force you through the very aggressive vendors. It was extremely annoying and I never went back
I have only been to Nassau, we did an organized excursion and we enjoyed it, but it is very much a stick to the port area or take an excursion port. There are some amazing places to see on the island but they are either very pricey or they are a long way away. The area just outside the gated port area is run down and does not feel safe to walk through. There is an upscale area that if you are in a larger group you could make it too toward the Margaritaville resort, but that area is not authentic at all. I would suggest taking a guided tour if you really want to see things and not have to worry too much. But most tours all go to a lot of the same places so you can price compare and usually come out OK. We went to John Watling's Distillery which is a historical site with a large shop and tasting room attached, a local tea shop that had a garden in the back where they had most of the plants that were in their teas, and then we visited a smaller straw market that was near the Baha Mar resort, this was nearly abandoned on the day we were there so while there were not many vendors we did not feel overwhelmed at all and basically had the entire market for our van full to explore, the tour included a lunch at a tourist spot which was OK, but we also drove around and saw many sites and the nicer areas on the island away from the port area. Our tour guide was great and took great care of us. There is also often music and performers busking in the port area and there is a museum at the port on Junkanoo which is a Bahamian carnival/mardi gras tradition. So there are some things there worth seeing and you can easily just get back on your ship whenever you are ready.
Hey Ben. Looking fabulous you are. I’ve been to all these ports through the years and never felt unsafe. Why do ppl use ATM’s on ships and islands? Withdraw your money at home no fee. I only use cash in ports. Will have my card with me for emergency but am not pulling out that card.
The best shops are the ones associated with the ships and you pay with your keycard and they deliver the items to the ship.
Sorry you were verbally abused in Jamaica 😢.
I understand everyone is trying to make a living and sell their merch but one I say no thank you , don’t keep asking or following me or become verbally disrespectful. Thank goodness I have not experienced that but I have seen it happen to others. Thanks Ben 🤗
We been to La Romana , it was pretty scary, we took the tourist train on the way back to port and had a police escort , got told politely not to go down certain roads , also montego bay me and my parents did not like it , I got hit on by a female which i did not like in Jamaica , for most Caribbean ports we just stayed around the port shops
If I ever cruise again on a Bahamas stop I'm not waisting my time getting of the cruise, its boring and you can quickly find yourself in the seedy parts of town.
I am on a cruise that subbed Labadie Haiti for Falmouth. I had second thoughts about keeping it and now that I am past final payment kinda stuck. Oh well.
Just enjoy the time on the ship and stay onboard 😊
Would agree that Belize City itself is nothing much to write home about. Alten Ha is definitely worth a look though.
Completely agree about Nassau. It's not a bad place. Just very commercial and a very frequent stop.
Falmouth is what it is. I don't think the port authority really wants you to leave the terminal to be honest. At least there is something there, unlike at Montego Bay.
I completely agree about Belize City. Curious to explore more, I left the center but was immediately surrounded by men aggressively pushing tours and sketchy offers within seconds. I felt unsafe and tense as a solo female traveler. I ended up loudly repeating 'No Thanks!' as I hustled back to the shopping center. They followed me and only stopped once I was back inside the shopping center. This was the most unsafe I have ever felt in any port. Advice to all: There is no reason to walk around in Belize City. It's run down, shabby and unsafe.
Add Roatan -- Coxen Hole Port. If you have the misfortune of docking in Coxen Hole and not Mahogany Bay, do not choose to go from a walk on Main Street. We made that mistake. We found a run-down, dirty town with narrow streets. We stopped to sit down in a very small park and a small child approached us trying to sell cigarettes. We got the strong impression that we were about to be set up by someone lurking in the shadows. We left as quickly as we could. We immediately went back to the ship.
Honestly these days I would not venture off the beaten path at any Caribbean port. We will only sail the southern Caribbean for the beauty of those islands and their beaches. No Western Caribbean…any Mexico port, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican, Trinidad---gang violence there recently as well as Haiti…not sure why Royal Caribbean stops there still, San Juan….I just won’t sail there. Too many other destinations in the world.
You forgot Roatan..
Belize City, Belize
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Nassau, The Bahamas
Freeport, The Bahamas
Falmouth, Jamaica
Saved you 12 minutes lol. Wish the creator added Chapters.
Also, the comments about Jamaica, are just cultural norms and regarding the weed, as a religious experience. If you head 30 minutes outside of the port you will realize that the government has basically given up on its people, leaving them in poverty. The healthcare system is one of the most corrupt, leading to malpractice. In patios, they have the word "Babylon" meaning the corrupt government and police system. I however will not tolerate and defend the hate towards the lgbtq+ community that is prevalent on the island. However, it is not a cultural norm for the people of the island we should approach this situation with open minds and acceptance because love is love and that's all that matters. I thank both ben and David for sharing the truth as it is, and would not like this comment to feel like an attack on anyone.
Progresso, Mexico is another one. Definitely a 3rd World Country. We walked around one block and returned to the ship quick. Nothing for us. Vendors pushing their stuff, won't leave you alone. Definitely won't be getting off the ship again.
Honest choices. Nassau is an awweine port, but like you said, it is a victim of its own success. I get why it's on the list but I personally wouldn't put it on, it's an anomaly compared to other ports and regular cruisers are very unfair to it because they have been there so many times but still never left the port area😂. The warnings for safety are copy and paste for the past 20 years so and its not anymore dangerous than other popular ports. Those guys downtown sell fake drugs it's why they kinda get away lol. Its probably one of the safest ports. Just run down in parts that give a false impression. There is lots to do you just may have to spend more money rent a car or atv or catch a cab. However perception is reality for some people. To be fair you usually don't have a ton of time to go to the better, less crowded beaches in Nassau. Nassau has way better reviews for those who fly in. Freeport is a similar case where the things to do are not close by the port like the host states. At least carnival is building a port closer to where the better beaches are on grand bahama further away from Freeport.
All ports of Jamaica are the same, unsafe, creepy and pushy
Very close to my list in order of worst: Belize, Roatan, all Domican Republic, Puerto Rico and Nassau
30 years ago in Belize City was the only time I have been robbed on a shore walk about. Also at that time they had open sewers. Also while docked over night the ship had crew with automatic weapons stationed on the deck all night long.
Hi second one 😂😂
hi first one
This being the second review that you downed the Caribbean locations I must assume that you have something personal against locations that others don’t have. These places have been cruise stops for decades. Most people know that these countries are some of the poorest nations in the WORLD. Experienced cruisers know that they will be approached to buy the usual resort trinkets. If these places were truly as bad as you report then I’m shore the many cruise ship companies that come there would give express instructions to avoid the place. But the creasers continue to come back. Many experienced crossers know how to say “NO” to overly aggressive hackers of trinkets. You must have had numerous rough run lines with people from these locations that mad it necessary for you to continuedly bad mouth and down grade these locations. Have you ever asked the cruses companies why they continue to come back to these so called entirely dangerous places??? Or is these some other reason you continue to kick these places in the teeth in your reviews.
You need to check out the list the US government has for places to not go to. These places have been on that list.
@@joannmay-anthony1076 Then why do the cruise companies keep going there?
What a painful thing to read through. Hard to take your comments seriously with the heinous grammatical errors and when you misspelled ‘cruises/cruisers’ three times in a row - as creasers, crossers, and cruses? They’re speaking from experience, especially Jamaica, and official warnings from governments to their citizens. Many people watching these videos are not experienced cruisers, as you seem to be obsessed with noting, and might wrongly assume the cruise ship wouldn’t take them to a place where it isn’t exactly safe to walk outside the main port area. Obviously a traveller should take routine precautions but it’s good to let people know where they might have to pay extra attention.