Not every cruise port is worth getting off the ship for.
Some sound amazing on the itinerary… but leave people wishing they’d stayed onboard.
I asked over 50,000 cruisers on the Cruise Mummy Facebook page to name the one port they regretted visiting, and the answers were surprisingly consistent.
A few destinations came up again and again.
So which ports do experienced cruisers say you might want to skip… and why?
1. Naples
The Italian port of Naples was mentioned a whopping 17 times, with cruisers saying they wished they hadn’t got off the ship.
Apparently, there’s a phrase: “Vedi Napoli e poi Muori” or “See Naples and Die”, which means “One must experience the beauty and magnificence of Naples before one dies.”
But one cruiser remarked: “I nearly did when I saw it!” Many described the city as ‘dirty’ and ‘dangerous’, and another commented that she was ‘robbed by 2 men on a moped’.
Paula commented: “Thought I was the only person who hated Naples and now I feel normal 🤣”
Miriam said: “I was too terrified to cross 5 lanes of traffic to see more of the place so went back to the ship. Wish we had got the tourist bus.”
If you have a cruise to Naples booked, I highly recommend that you book an excursion. Naples is the launch pad for some of the most spectacular cruise day trips in the Mediterranean.
Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are all within reach, and those are exactly the kinds of places that earn Naples a spot on “most beautiful ports” lists.
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2. Martinique
When you think of the Caribbean island of Martinique, you may imagine pristine beaches dotted with gently swaying palm trees. But many cruisers were sadly disappointed by their experiences, so much so that they wished they had stayed on the ship.
One cruiser said, “Martinique sounds gorgeous, but it is the pits.” While another said it was a “total waste of time.”
Gill commented: “Martinique sounds romantique, but the harbour was the complete opposite!”
I don’t think there’s anything terribly wrong with Martinique as such. It’s just that there are so many incredible ports to visit on a Caribbean cruise and many people found Martinique to be underwhelming in comparison.
3. Jamaica
Jamaica is frequently mentioned as a country where cruisers prefer to stay on board, often because they don’t feel safe to get off the ship.
Commenting on the Facebook post, Gareth said: “Jamaica is hell… So many cockroaches, so much heat and humidity, and we were threatened with a knife in broad daylight outside our hotel.”
People reported several instances of being ‘harassed’ and ‘threatened’ by locals, including taxi drivers and vendors.
There are five cruise ports in Jamaica, and it seems that some are worse than others. I have a post about the worst cruise ports in Jamaica if you’re interested in reading more real-life experiences.
4. Belize
Another country that you might think twice about visiting on a cruise is Belize.
One cruiser said of the country: “Never felt so in danger and we are well travelled.”
Another simply described it as a “sh*thole”.
Norwegian Cruise Line has a private island in Belize called Harvest Caye. Cruisers were quick to point out that this destination is actually really nice, and nothing like the rest of the country, which suffers from poverty.
Suggested read: The World’s 8 Most Dangerous Cruise Ports
5. Alexandria
Alexandria is a Mediterranean port city in Egypt, and it didn’t receive positive comments from cruisers who vowed never to return.
Rita commented, “Worst place ever. Should have done a tour off the ship but decided to walk out of port gates……what a hell hole. We were there for two days!!!!”
Clare also had a bad experience: “It was dirty and dangerous. We didn’t book any excursions so explored on our own. Locals warned us it was not safe most of the area.”
Suggested read: 8 Reasons To Stay On Your Cruise Ship When In Port
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My Thoughts
What stood out most from the comments wasn’t just the destinations… it was how people experienced them.
Many of the negative reviews came from cruisers who got off the ship without a plan. They wandered around, felt uncomfortable, or didn’t see the best parts.
But others had completely different experiences in the same places.
Le Havre is a great example. Some called it boring, while others used it as a base to visit Honfleur or the Normandy beaches and loved it.
So it’s not always about the port itself. It’s how you explore it.
Related Posts:
- The 11 Worst Ports of Call For Cruise Ship Tourists
- What To Do In The WORST Cruise Ports in Europe
- The 14 Worst Cruise Lines (According to Reviews)
- The 12 Worst Cruise Ships (Real Reviews)
Definitely agree with a lot of the reviews. Egypt, shithole but interesting. Ocho Rios omg, so scarey. Never to return to Jamaica. A bit worried about Martinique, going there in November. Thanks for the info.
Naples made me sad. It is a dump. But you can see how it once was very beautiful. The old buildings would have once been stunning. It’s just been left to rot & decay.
If some time & money was spent looking after the town, refurbishing buildings that are crumbling, tidying up and getting rid of the graffiti it would be a beautiful place once again
It’s like no one cares. Very sad
OK Le Havre is not that exciting but the churches and art gallery are great, especially:
https://www.lehavre-etretat-tourisme.com/en/discover/the-essentials/saint-josephs-church-of-le-havre/
https://www.lehavre-etretat-tourisme.com/en/discover/the-essentials/muma/
I would say definitely worth getting off the ship for a visit.
I agree that Le Havre is worth the visit.
My wife and I found a FREE walking tour , 2 hours, by a retired professional woman who was delightful and knowledgeable about her community ; she refused our tip offer as we hugged goodbye
Phew, where to start…
I did a half world cruise last years, Athens to Sydney and here are my summations
Athens: Enjoyable, dirty, smelly, noisy – good fun
Santorini: Been once, don’t need to go back
Rhodes: Yawn
Cairo: 3hrs on a shitty coach from Port Said. City looks like a war zone, had to be escorted everywhere by heavily armed police and military. Shithole – avoid
Luxor: 3hrs on 3 shitty coaches from Safaga, blown tires, engine fire… Shithole – avoid
Dubai: Flashy expensive shithole
Mumbai: Chaotic disorganised (3hrs standing in line in the sun to enter India) shithole – avoid
Goa: Shithole with a beach and rapacious taxi drivers (US200 for a 2 mile trip) – avoid
Colombo: Not too bad, good seafood at Ministry of Crab – won’t be going back
Kuala Lumpur: Endless cab ride from Port Klang, sterile, soulless, pointless – won’t be going back
Singapore: Very expensive, not a shithole – will stopover if I can afford the hotel bill
Bali: Been before, nice if you avoid the Aussie drongoes plaguing the place, 2 out of 3 times got norovirus – avoiding in future
Darwin: Is there life in Darwin, you never see anybody – not returning
Cairns: See Darwin
Airlie Beach: If meh was near the sea – happy to never return (Port Douglas is way better)
Sydney: Belter of a place, especially the Rocks where we berthed – definitely going back
Seems like almost everywhere was shithole to you. I have been to all of them except Goa, Colombo, and Luxor and enjoyed everyone of them. You need to do research or go on a good tour.
Seems like almost everywhere was shithole to you. I have been to all of them except Goa, Colombo, and Luxor and enjoyed everyone of them. You need to do research or go on a good tour.
Jamaica, Jamaica, and Jamaica!! What a commode.
Ocho Rios…. You get inundated by hustlers and grifters, literally DOZENS of them, the moment you enter the port! I got nasty with a few of them because they were scaring my daughter.
It felt so unsafe, we made a beeline BACK to the Norweigian Escape and enjoyed the “no crowd” atmosphere at the bars and restaurants.
Believe me…. i ripped Norweigian a new one over this sheer waste of our time and money on booking this locale on our Caribbean cruise. Otherwise, the cruise was fantastic! Just that one blight on the experience
Santorini used to be a wonderful place to visit but now we stay abord its so difficult and long winded to use the elevator and when you arrive in santorini village its like a football match so many people pushing andknocking into you
See Amsterdam at your peril. Thousands of bikes peddled at frightening speed sandwiching you every minute. And riders are so rude if you get in there lanes which are not clearly marked, I will never go back,
I have always loved going to Martinique.
I love walking around Fort de France. I have always found the ruins of St Pierre very interesting whilst learning about the volcano eruptions and everything is well documented. I have also visited beaches on the south west coast which are beautiful and clean and the local food is great.
One complaint that I keep hearing is that they (the Martiniquans) don’t speak English….hey it’s a French speaking country. Try to learn a few phrases like “Ecrivez pour moi, s’il vous plait.”
(Write it down for me please) if you can’t understand how much something costs.
Sorry Liz but it’s not that they don’t speak English, it’s that they won’t. We were looking for a certain department store and my wife, who does speak French (although probably with an accent) asked a man, IN FRENCH, where to find it. He looked at her and said, “I don’t speak English”, and walked off!