Cruise ship cancels stop in Puerto Rico

From time to time you see news items like this one. (see https://www.bnd.com/news/nation-world/national/article232741422.html for the full story). I highlight this to illustrate a lesson a very experienced cruise taught me years ago.

Many - myself included - cruise to see exotic destinations. A problem can arise when you choose a cruise based on a single destination. Years ago I was booking a cruise of the Mediterranean. There was one itinerary available which dipped down to Egypt. Seeing the pyramids has always been a dream of mine, so that seemed like the trip for me. Problem was, it was on a much less attractive vessel, and the rest of the itinerary wasn’t as good. Fortunately my then colleague talked me out of taking that cruise, and instead I went on a beautiful cruise on a fantastic ship. And, as it turned out, political events in Egypt meant that no cruises went there that fall.

There are many reasons why a particular port of call might be skipped. In the case which spurred this post, it is political upheaval. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic; it can even be something as simple as wind. If the weather is too challenging, especially for a port which involves tendering, the captain may choose to skip the port.

Imagine you booked a cruise hoping to see one destination. You were not excited about any other ports, and you don’t really like the ship, but at least the itinerary includes this one port. And then things turn, and you hear the announcement that the port is being skipped. Your whole vacation is ruined.

The best advice I have on this is to consider the whole cruise when planning your vacation. The line, the ship, the time, all of the ports. There will not likely be a ‘perfect’ cruise, but if you like the cruise line, the ship, and most of the ports, you are almost certain to have a great vacation.

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