Heidi BucoloEvery cruiser has that one port. The stop you’d trade in a heartbeat for an extra sea day. The one where you looked at the excursion offerings, the crowds, and the logistics and decided it wasn’t worth it. We wanted to know which ports our readers felt that way about, so we asked. Some of the answers came as no surprise but others shocked us.
Of course, “overrated” is subjective. One cruiser’s tourist trap is another cruiser’s favorite beach day, and a port that disappoints on a packed five-ship day can be lovely when you have it to yourself. Still, clear patterns did emerge. Ports tended to land on the overrated list for one of three reasons: they’re too crowded or too commercialized, there’s too little to do or the port itself feels manufactured, or the real attractions are too far away from the actual cruise port.
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas might be one of the most-visited cruise destinations in the world, but it’s also the one that topped our overrated list.
On a busy day, five or six ships can be docked at once, flooding a compact downtown with tens of thousands of people. Readers described the port area as an open-air shopping mall surrounded by aggressive vendors and taxi drivers. Some also cited recent safety concerns and underwhelming free beaches like the nearby Junkanoo Beach. Day passes to the popular Atlantis resort are also very overpriced. Not to mention, many frequent cruisers have the “been there, done that” sentiment about Nassau.
A few of you also lumped in Freeport, Bahamas, which has struggled to recover from previous storm damage.
How to make it worth it: Skip the downtown shopping area and Atlantis entirely. Head to a nicer beach, Cabbage Beach and Cable Beach are popular options, or plan a specific excursion — like swimming with the pigs or a Bahamian food tour. If you’re looking for authentic eats, you can also head to the Fish Fry about 1.5 miles from the cruise port.
Cruising the Bahamas? We’ve got you covered.
Nassau doesn’t have to disappoint. After dozens of Bahamas cruises, we’ve pulled together 30 tips on when to book, which ports are worth your day, and what we skip every time. See them all in our complete Bahamas cruise tips guide.
Cozumel, Mexico
Cozumel is another one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, and like Nassau, its popularity is a knock against it. The area right off the piers is wall-to-wall with the familiar lineup — tourist shops, tequila stands, Señor Frog’s, and relentless sales vendors. The cruise port is too commercialized, there are no walkable beaches, and it’s always crowded were the most popular complaints. Plus, famous sites like Chichén Itzá or Tulum require lots of travel to reach from the Cozumel cruise port, and the destination has become synonymous with drunk cruise passengers and pier runners.
Some of you pointed to Progreso as an even bigger letdown with its long pier, industrial setup, and lackluster beaches.
How to make it worth it: Cozumel is one of the top snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean given its location along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Get off the pier and into the sea. You could also head to a beach club away from the port or visit the nearby San Gervasio Mayan site.
Jamaica (Ocho Rios and Falmouth)
Jamaica drew strong feelings too, with Ocho Rios and Falmouth both singled out. Falmouth in particular came up as a purpose-built port walled off from the actual town — you’re shopping in a manufactured complex rather than experiencing “real” Jamaica. But others would prefer not to experience Jamaica at all, citing persistent vendors as well as safety, drug, and crime concerns.
How to make it worth it: Jamaica’s best moments just require a little planning to ensure safety. Book a reputable shore excursion to Dunn’s River Falls, a bamboo raft ride on the Martha Brae, or a Chukka Eco-Adventure tour. These tours can be booked directly through your cruise line or with Shore Excursions Group, both of which vet the local providers they work with. If you’d rather relax, a well-reviewed beach club day pass gets you the Jamaica you pictured without being harassed by beach vendors.
Costa Maya, Mexico
Costa Maya is a port in Mexico that exists largely because of cruise ships. Readers described it as a “fake” cruise destination — with purpose-built shopping and a pool complex but lacking authenticity. It’s touristy, prices are high, and it can get crowded with multiple ships in port. Many also cite frequent cancellations due to winds and rough seas that prevent ships from docking.
How to make it worth it: Venture beyond the cruise port. The Mayan ruins at Chacchoben are a reasonable drive inland and are the real draw here. Those seeking some sand and sun will find beach clubs in the nearby fishing village of Mahahual as well— Maya Chan is one of the more popular options.
Headed to the Caribbean? Here’s how we do it.
One overrated port won’t make or break your trip. After more than 100 cruises, we’ve packed everything we know into 30 tips on booking smart, planning your days ashore, and getting the most out of every stop. Read them all in our top Caribbean cruise tips guide.
Ensenada, Mexico
Ensenada has a specific reason for landing on this list: it’s frequently a “we legally have to stop at a foreign port” stop. On many West Coast round-trip itineraries, Ensenada is there to satisfy the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) more than because it’s a go-to Mexican destination. Readers described it as a filler port with a rough-around-the-edges feel and limited activity options near the ship. Some of the top attractions are a considerable drive away which can be difficult to fit into a short port stop.
How to make it worth it: If you have enough time in port, La Bufadora, the giant marine geyser, is the signature excursion and worth the trip. The local wine country in Valle de Guadalupe is a pleasant surprise for foodies as well. Treat it as a low-key day rather than the highlight of the cruise and it delivers just fine.
Dominican Republic (Amber Cove specifically)
The Dominican Republic was another frequently mentioned overrated Caribbean cruise port, specifically Amber Cove. Amber Cove is a Carnival-developed port complex in DR just outside of Puerto Plata. And like Falmouth and Costa Maya, it drew the “manufactured port” critique — a nice-enough pool and shopping area that isn’t really the Dominican Republic.
While also purpose-built, Taino Bay tends to garner a more favorable opinion for its resort amenities and walkability to downtown Puerto Plata. Though, it too gets criticism for crowding, expensive food and drinks, and no natural beach.
How to make it worth it: Puerto Plata’s cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres, the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua, or the downtown area — including San Felipe Fortress, the Malecon, Umbrella Street, and Pink Alley — are all worth your time.
All Cruise Line Private Islands
Here’s one that might raise some eyebrows, because private islands are often marketed as a highlight on Bahamas or Caribbean itineraries and many cruisers (including us) love them. But the word that came up again and again was authenticity. These islands are beautiful but readers felt they aren’t really destinations so much as curated experiences built and branded by the cruise lines. Further, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Great Stirrup Cay, and Celebration Key often get a bad reputation for their amusement park-like attractions and party vibes.
How to make it worth it: Go in seeing these destinations for what they are — a well-executed beach day, not a cultural port stop — and they’re hard to beat. Loungers and umbrellas with plenty of beachfront, food, drinks, and sometimes even lagoon pools await. There’s also upgraded amenities if you want them, from beach clubs or cabanas to full-fledged waterparks.
Icy Strait Point, Alaska (and Alaska in general, surprisingly)
This was the answer that shocked us most. When we asked about overrated ports, a lot of you named Alaska as a whole — which we did not see coming, because an Alaska cruise is a bucket-list trip for so many people, and a destination that continues to impress us over and over again. And when someone named a specific Alaska port, Icy Strait Point came up the most.
The Alaska-wide sentiment came down to expectations versus reality. Alaska is marketed as a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, and for some cruisers the reality — gray skies, rain, cool weather, and glaciers that were farther away than social media suggested — didn’t match the hype. Many reported that their idea of a vacation is somewhere warm and tropical.
Icy Strait Point, specifically, is a converted cannery rather than a real town. Nearly everything worth doing is a pricey excursion, and if you don’t book one there’s not a lot to fill the day.
How to make it worth it: We’ll always argue that Alaska absolutely lives up to the hype — you just have to have the right expectations. It’s a completely different experience than a Caribbean cruise. Choose an itinerary with prime glacier viewing (Glacier Bay or Hubbard). Pack for rain and cool temperatures so weather doesn’t wreck the day. And lean into one-of-a-kind excursions like glacier walks or dog sledding. At Icy Strait Point specifically, the ZipRider and whale watching are great activities.
Want Alaska to live up to the hype? Learn from our mistakes.
The difference between a letdown and the trip of a lifetime is planning. After seven Alaska cruises, we put together 45+ tips on picking the right itinerary, packing for the weather, and choosing excursions that are actually worth it. Get them all in our expert Alaska cruise tips guide.
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia is a lovely city, so why is it here? Blame the cruise schedule. On many Alaska round-trip sailings out of Seattle, Victoria is the required foreign port stop and it’s frequently slotted in for just a few hours in the evening. Readers’ complaints weren’t with the city itself; it was arriving at 7 PM for a short, dark visit that doesn’t leave time to see much of anything like the beautiful Butchart Gardens.
How to make it worth it: Find an itinerary that includes a longer visit or just accept that this is a quick taste and plan accordingly. If you’re only in port for a few hours, take a walk along the Inner Harbour and Fisherman’s Wharf, grab a drink or dinner near the water, and have a look at the illuminated Parliament Buildings. If you go in expecting a stroll, not a full port day, Victoria charms rather than disappoints.
Santorini, Greece
Santorini is one of the most photographed places on earth, which is precisely why some readers found it overrated. The complaint here isn’t “too little to do” — it’s overtourism (even with passenger caps in place). On a busy day, several ships tender thousands of passengers into a port with famously limited access. The cable car up from the old port bottlenecks badly and the picture-perfect villages of Fira and Oia get so swamped with crowds that the serene, blue-domed backdrops that you dreamed of are hard to find. Not to mention all the influencers and flying dress photo shoots!
How to make it worth it: Timing and logistics are everything in Santorini. If planning a DIY day, get on the earliest tender you can to beat the cable car rush. Better yet, book an excursion that includes alternate transportation so you skip the cable car ascent altogether. Many still require you to take the cable car back down at the end of the tour. Head to Oia early or late in the day if you can or consider seeing the island beyond the two famous towns, perhaps a winery or volcanic beach.
Civitavecchia, Italy
Civitavecchia earns its spot for the most straightforward reason on the list: it’s not really the destination. The port is sold as “Rome”, but Rome is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours away depending on traffic. Readers pointed out the frustration of spending a huge chunk of a precious port day in transit, leaving a compressed five or six hours maximum to take on the Colosseum, the Vatican, the historic city center, and everything else. The port town of Civitavecchia itself does have a few nearby attractions, but it’s nowhere near as alluring as Rome.
How to make it worth it: If Rome is the goal, book a ship-sponsored excursion or a reputable private tour so a missed train or traffic doesn’t cause you to miss the ship. Prioritize just one or two major sites with some time to stroll or enjoy lunch rather than trying to do all of Rome in an afternoon. Alternatively, skip the Rome sprint for a slower and far less stressful local day around Civitavecchia.
Planning a Mediterranean cruise? Here’s what to know.
Med port days are long, packed, and easy to get wrong when the big sights sit hours from the pier. These are the 35 tips we wish we’d known before our first sailing, from booking early to making every port count. Read them all in our Mediterranean cruise tips guide.
What to Do Instead: Consider a Ship Day
Here’s a piece of advice we give constantly, and it applies perfectly to a port you’re lukewarm about: you don’t have to get off the ship. One of our favorite cruise hacks is to deliberately pick a port day to stay onboard — and an overrated stop is the ideal candidate.
When most of the ship files down the gangway, the pools, hot tubs, and specialty venues empty out. You get a quiet ship, no lines at the buffet, a shot at good deck chairs, and often a spa or dining deal precisely because the cruise line knows most people are ashore. Instead of spending money and energy on a port that underwhelms, spend a relaxed day enjoying all the things you already love about cruising. Think of it as your own personal sea day.
It’s your vacation, and you can do whatever you want (well, within limits). Make a smart plan when going ashore in the ports you love, and give yourself full permission to stay on the ship at an overrated cruise port.
Comments
Did your most overrated port make this list? Which of these cruise ports do you think we got wrong? Drop us an anchor below to share which cruise destinations you tend to avoid.
