S/o places you have no desire to go to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Climbing any very high mountain - they are high, cold, and increasing pointy. I don't need to visit to learn that.

Most cruises - I go on vacation to get away from the folks back home. Why bring them with me? Plus, a 24 hour buffet would be my undoing. I may do one of the Shetland and Orkney Islands though. You do need a boat to visit Islands.

Any skydiving venue. I was going to include all NASCAR venues, but it occurs to me that at a NASCAR track, I could probably eat Velveeta nachos without shame, which is worth something in and of itself.

No you don't. You can take ferries and/or a plane. We visited Orkney a few years ago as part of a trip to scotland and it was wonderful. Highly recommend renting a car though.

I love mountains. But I have no desire to do a cruise of any type. I also hate beach vacations though I anticipate doing some to make my husband happy as our kids get older.

Country-wise, I don't have any desire to visit India (too much poverty and human rights issues), most of Africa, South America, or Southeast Asia (too hot), or just about any Arab country (I am Jewish). I have a mild desire to visit Israel primarily for the history, but as another PP said I have come to strongly dislike Israel's policies and politics and am not sure I'd feel comfortable doing so. I get enough "Israel is the most amazing country on earth" shoved down my throat at shul, I don't need it in-country too.

I spent several years in Japan and would love to go back. I also really enjoyed my time in England and Scotland, despite the awful food, and would go back in a second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Israel. And I'm Jewish. Can't explain why I've just never had an interest in going there. But I'd love to visit Jordan.

Not Jewish, but will not visit because of my feelings about their politics.

You all are missing out. It's a place I never thought I'd go to and ended up loving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Japan -- the culture is very hostile to women and fish

Lol. Not sure if this is a joke but if not ... how can a culture be hostile to fish?! Other than the fact that they eat a lot of seafood, of course. Maybe you meant whales. Kujira is still pretty popular.

And the Japanese are not hostile to women. The culture is fairly sexist when it comes to working women. But it's not outright hostile. Hostile would be a place like India where women are raped or denied education, or Saudia Arabia, where they're confined to the house and not allowed to drive. Japan is a first world country and women have the same rights as men. They're just a bit benighted when it comes to the workplace, like the US in the 70s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I basically have no desire for the entire middle of the country. I really do consider them flyover states. The idea of not living within a half hour of ocean unsettles me.

Do you live in DC? We are not 1/2 an hour from the ocean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re cruises - they are super easy and relaxing. Nothing to research and no need to plan anything. Unpack once, and have an opportunity to visit a number of places...or not...you can choose to lay on a deck chair read, drink, and nap in the sun. No need to carry a wallet since everything is already paid for. Can't decide between the lobster or steak? Order both...at no extra cost. Feel like watching the evening show? Simply show up...or not...your choice.

We were very anti cruise until we actually took one. Now we can appreciate the appeal. I have a colleague who books last minute cruises a couple times a year to "nap." He ends up doing much more than that, but that's his premise...to get away and not have to worry about anything.

But everything is NOT paid for on a lot of cruises. Often just your food is included, and booze and soda are extra. Excursions are extra. Everything everything is EXTRA. But the price looks great up front! So cheap! Awesome! And then the nickel and dime game starts. Perhaps I went on a low-brow cruise (Celebrity) but I was really turned off.

[Anonymous]

Some of you people are missing out on a good time.

[Anonymous]

And most of you are making decisions based on little to no real information and sweeping generalizations.

"Africa"? Really? The entire continent is off limits to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re cruises - they are super easy and relaxing. Nothing to research and no need to plan anything. Unpack once, and have an opportunity to visit a number of places...or not...you can choose to lay on a deck chair read, drink, and nap in the sun. No need to carry a wallet since everything is already paid for. Can't decide between the lobster or steak? Order both...at no extra cost. Feel like watching the evening show? Simply show up...or not...your choice.

We were very anti cruise until we actually took one. Now we can appreciate the appeal. I have a colleague who books last minute cruises a couple times a year to "nap." He ends up doing much more than that, but that's his premise...to get away and not have to worry about anything.

But everything is NOT paid for on a lot of cruises. Often just your food is included, and booze and soda are extra. Excursions are extra. Everything everything is EXTRA. But the price looks great up front! So cheap! Awesome! And then the nickel and dime game starts. Perhaps I went on a low-brow cruise (Celebrity) but I was really turned off.

We cruise with disney, and sodas and room service are included. You don't have to do excursions. We do some, but not at every stop (we can manage on our own). My friend who cruises to relax doesn't do any excursions. He walks off the boat, hires a driver and hangs with locals at a beach bar. It's all about expectations and what your idea of fun is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And most of you are making decisions based on little to no real information and sweeping generalizations.

"Africa"? Really? The entire continent is off limits to you?

Yes. No desire to go there what so ever, not even Egypt...

[Anonymous]

Any place where the movie "Not Without my Daughter" could be reality. I need to be able to go to the police/govt etc and have the same rights as a man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re cruises - they are super easy and relaxing. Nothing to research and no need to plan anything. Unpack once, and have an opportunity to visit a number of places...or not...you can choose to lay on a deck chair read, drink, and nap in the sun. No need to carry a wallet since everything is already paid for. Can't decide between the lobster or steak? Order both...at no extra cost. Feel like watching the evening show? Simply show up...or not...your choice.

We were very anti cruise until we actually took one. Now we can appreciate the appeal. I have a colleague who books last minute cruises a couple times a year to "nap." He ends up doing much more than that, but that's his premise...to get away and not have to worry about anything.

Not trying to start a fight, but are you really visiting other places or just getting off at the port & seeing the cruise ship version of that location. Seems like driving on I95 and claiming that stopping off at a highway exit to eat dinner is like visiting that city/town/state. Also, don't you usually have to make reservations for things like the "evening show"?

that said, I would totally do one of the river cruises, you seemed more immersed in the locale.

It totally depends on what you do.

My in-laws hire personal drivers wherever they go, and they have seen all kinds of things. They travel high end and have the kinds of drivers/private tour guide that get them into places that are behind the scenes or otherwise off limits.

My friend sticks with Caribbean cruises to relax, and he hires a driver to take him to local beach bars/restaurants and he always ends up making friends with ex-pats and locals.

We travel with kids on disney, and we tend to book a mix of excursions.

The only place where we've just wandered off the boat and maneuvered on our own is Key West ;0)

You can book very in-depth day trips from port cities in Europe and the Mediterranean.


But I stand by what I said: cruises are relaxing...especially when compared to backpacking or touring a city intensively (as many Americans tend to do).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And most of you are making decisions based on little to no real information and sweeping generalizations.

"Africa"? Really? The entire continent is off limits to you?

Yes. No desire to go there what so ever, not even Egypt...

Egypt is gross. Dirty, trash everywhere. And simply unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Japan -- the culture is very hostile to women and fish

Hilarious. Just got back from Japan. Felt incredibly safe. What a rich, beautiful culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I basically have no desire for the entire middle of the country. I really do consider them flyover states. The idea of not living within a half hour of ocean unsettles me.

You visit the Great Lakes.

Just FYI coastal snobs . . . Michigan alone has more coastline than California.

ok great- and miserable weather for how many months of the year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re cruises - they are super easy and relaxing. Nothing to research and no need to plan anything. Unpack once, and have an opportunity to visit a number of places...or not...you can choose to lay on a deck chair read, drink, and nap in the sun. No need to carry a wallet since everything is already paid for. Can't decide between the lobster or steak? Order both...at no extra cost. Feel like watching the evening show? Simply show up...or not...your choice.

We were very anti cruise until we actually took one. Now we can appreciate the appeal. I have a colleague who books last minute cruises a couple times a year to "nap." He ends up doing much more than that, but that's his premise...to get away and not have to worry about anything.

But everything is NOT paid for on a lot of cruises. Often just your food is included, and booze and soda are extra. Excursions are extra. Everything everything is EXTRA. But the price looks great up front! So cheap! Awesome! And then the nickel and dime game starts. Perhaps I went on a low-brow cruise (Celebrity) but I was really turned off.

We cruise with disney, and sodas and room service are included. You don't have to do excursions. We do some, but not at every stop (we can manage on our own). My friend who cruises to relax doesn't do any excursions. He walks off the boat, hires a driver and hangs with locals at a beach bar. It's all about expectations and what your idea of fun is.

This made me laugh for some reason.