My Favorite Places I Have Visited Working on a Cruise Ship and the One Place I’d Stay Onboard

The cruising experience allows guests to visit a wide variety of places in one trip, which makes it extremely convenient in more ways than one, not only with packing/unpacking but also simplifying the traveling processes involved, like accommodations, transportation and even paperwork necessary when moving from one country to another.

Amongst the many places you can visit, here’s a list of ports I, a seasoned crew member, could never grow tired of, whether due to their beauty, their limitless activities or simply how these places inherently make you feel.

Istanbul, Turkey

The combination of cultures scattered around the city makes you immediately feel like you’ve visited multiple cities all at once, not to mention the fact that the city is located on 2 continents! A sense of safety is felt throughout the experience, and people are beyond friendly. Do, however, be on the lookout for tourist traps. And don’t forget to haggle!

Santorini, Greece

Simply the best sunset on Earth. If visited on a cruise ship, yes, it can be quite the pain to tender over and wait in the cable car line for ages under the scorching sun, but once you reach the top, it’s glorious. The views it offers are unique, and satisfy the purpose of making everyone on your Instagram jealous.

St. Maarten / Sint Martin 

My favorite in the Caribbean. I’m a big fan of planes, so Maho Beach is one of my favorite places anywhere. You can almost feel the planes landing over your head, and you can CERTAINLY feel the ones taking off (if you’re into that stuff). The beach itself is rough though! Not for weak swimmers. The beach right across from the pier is also a wonderful feature.

Cozumel, Mexico

Shopping? Check. Beaches? Check. Food? Check. A Wonder of the World nearby? Check. No matter how many times I’ve been to Cozumel (and mind you, sometimes we’re talking about once a week for MONTHS!), I can never not have fun there. It’s touristy enough that everyone will speak English and accept US Dollars, but not so touristy that it becomes annoying.

Naples, Italy

This one feels like an insider tip. Most people associate Naples with its main attractions (not that they’re not amazing), like Sorrento, Positano, Pompeii (or its, in my opinion, better alternative: Herculaneum), and Capri. But Naples has so many more amazing places to offer within the city. It’s no surprise when you learn that it’s the 3rd largest city in Italy. Do yourself a favor and look up attractions within the city, if you’ve already visited the main spots.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mostly an embarkation port, which would allow you to spend a few days before or after your cruise, this city screams Europe in South America. There are so many activities all around that will blow your mind. More so the fact that many of them are free of charge, shocking for a country that has lately suffered serious economical issues. I once spent 9 days there, and felt like I only scratched the surface. Not to be missed.

And the one I’d rather stay on the ship for:

Cabo San Lucas

I mean, it looks like a gigantic beach resort for people who were talked into it at a TimeShare Convention. Yes, the beaches are nicer than most on the Pacific side, but it has become so touristic that mostly everything you can do there, you can do on your cruise, only with less crowds and cheaper (or free).

What do you think of my list? What are your favorite places you have visited from a cruise ship? – ThatGuy (onboard)