I think it is more to select the trip that is right for you & want you want to do.

The best thing that we find is that people just get out there and see and experience. Then people come back with richer experiences.

You are orf course, exactly right. Those are places you must see by land, and some by night (not so sur about St Martin, but…)

We have discussed this at length in certain posts. I can also name you many places you can most logically reached by ship and do not neeed more than a day, but are well worth seeing: Santorini, Delos, Majorca, Panama Canal, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Galapagos, much of Alaska (Glacier bay), Isle of Capri, Portofino, Venice, Dubrovnik, Malta, Isle of Rhodes, etc…

At the same time, I have been to both Rome & Athens as starting places for my Med cruises and spent three or four days there before starting my cruise. Well worth flying into and far less logistic hassle preceding on a cruise rather than rail.

And I haven’t even brought up European River cruising, such as my 10-day trip from Moscow to St Petersburg through the interior of Russia. Or my Nile or yangtze River trips.

Cruises offer all kinds of opportunities for travelers. And I have never bought into the the “its a taste of things to see if you want to go back” business. It is, but it also a taste of things you can see in one year you never would have seen in 10 years of backpacking otherwise.

both kinds of TRAVEL are equally valid, and hence I just get a little tired of people who treat cruising as if it is nothing more than a floating Disneyland.

Like Paul said, the logistics of land traveling is somewhat complicated and I think that many people cannot or are simply unwilling to deal with it. But in my opinion, that’s the only way to visit a country in depth and get to know its people and its culture. Some places are as interesting at night as during the day, but how can you experience it when your ship leaves at 6pm? Can you say that you’ve been to St-Martin when you’ve been there only for a couple of hours during a call? Cities like Rome and Athens deserve more than just one day. How can you do a trek in the jungle of Thailand and sleep in a remote village other than by land traveling? How can you do a camping safari in Africa and hear wild animals roaring at night other than by land traveling? How can you visit Angkor Wat or Taj Mahal other than by land traveling? Some places are just too far inland to visit on a day tour. At best, cruise calls offer a glimpse of the country and a possible envy to return again.

But don’t get me wrong. I loved the two cruises I took so far. I find that there’s something very intriguing and fascinating about cruise ships. I like cruise ships, I like beeing at sea and I like to be pampered. I’m not putting down cruisers, cruising is fun and I think it’s a marvellous, legitimate and relaxing way to spend a vacation. On the other hand, traveling by public transport, sleeping in small hotels, eating in local restaurants at night, dealing with the language barrier or any other minor problem and taking the time to look around and feel the country is the best way for me to tour the world. I will certainly cruise again, not for visiting or traveling, but to relax, to be pampered and to enjoy the ship and the sea.

Here is the dealy-o…

I have worked on cruise ships and seen much of the world while doing so. My first assignment was 7-months on a luxury ship and I sailed from tahiti to the North Cape of Norway and on to the Baltic Sea.

When that cruise contract ended, I was in Bremerhaven Germany, and suddenly on my own with a backpack and a fair amount of money I had saved up during my voyage. I was ready to tour Europe, which I did. I bought a rail pass, schlepped my belongings to train stations and hotels – you know the drill.

Believe me – I saw far more, and much more conveniently on the ship than I did on my own – solely due to the convenience factor. The logistics of “traveling” as compared to cruising are horrible.

As you alluded, but did not say outright – you see the same sights whether by bus, rail or cruise ship. It is the same Collisseum, Monaco, Pyramids, et al. It doesn’t matter how you got there.

As a traveler, cruising is a fantastic way to see the world. River cruising is having a banner year, by the way, three-times more popular than just five years ago. Why? Because it is a great way to see Europe.

Yes – many cruise ship itineraries are not designed for sight-seeing – they are tropical getaways, like Sandals or other all-inclusives. That is an individual choice. Some people love being at sea, and being on cruise ships – some people like thatch-roofed bungaloes with mosquito nets (I guess, never been to an all-inclusive). But that is a different subject.

Yes – you can “put down” cruisers who only want relaxing tropical vacations if you want to. But you can also lump people who watch soap operas and eat potato chips in the same category, its escapism, which isn’t a crime. Its just looking for a little joy in life. In other words – do vegetarians have a right to criticize meat-eaters? Or do we all have free will and the right to do as we please without being judged for it?