NauticalNotebook.com
Off the Beaten Path
Seeing Ports of Call Like a Local
(Inspired by a presentation by Arthur and Pauline Frommer)
Part I
by Lisa Plotnick
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a presentation by renowned travel writers
Arthur and Pauline Frommer titled, “Getting Out of Your Vacation Rut: New Types of
Vacations and Destinations to Consider.” The father-
The key theme of the first part of the presentation was that, to paraphrase Ms. Frommer, the best vacations are those during which you interact with the local residents and see how they go about their daily lives. Among the visits she recounted was one in Jamaica, where she spent the day with a woman who had volunteered her time and her home for this purpose. The Frommers also highlighted programs such as learning vacations (where visitors study at a University for a week or two, even staying in the dormitories), volunteerism (including being an English instructor to the local population), and small group adventure tours (utilizing public transportation, and staying in people’s homes while enjoying the safety that comes from being in an organized group).
This got me to thinking about excursions in our ports of call in which we went off the beaten path, forgoing an organized tour to do our own thing—whether planned or impromptu.
Alta, Norway. Prior to arriving in our second port of call on our 2007 cruise to
Norway, we experienced a problem with our camcorder. 
This turned out to be a blessing
in disguise, as we had no organized shore excursions planned for this port, Alta,
located well within the Arctic Circle. To our surprise—and rather convenient in retrospect—the
shuttle bus from the pier to town dropped us off across the street from a shopping
plaza. So, off we went to diagnose the problem, which turned out to be the need to
purchase new blank tapes. After this, we walked around the area, seeing a small piece
of everyday life in a large Arctic Circle town. Our son even found a playground.
Had I thought of it, I would have gone into the grocery store to price a gallon of
milk. (And, our camera worked quite well from that point onward.)
Amsterdam, Holland. Having been raised in large cities, my husband and I are very
comfortable using public transportation. For our pre-
When, at one point, we transferred trams at Centraal Station, we
decided to spend some time exploring this hub of Amsterdam’s transportation system,
where passengers were going about their everyday commutes, or boarding trains to
distant destinations. We also took the tram to the Artis Zoo, the Netherland’s oldest
(established 1838), where we enjoyed many exhibits. During our post-
Barcelona, Spain. Our pre-
Boston, USA. In this case, we were hosts to good friends who had visited Boston several
times previously. 
One of our friends is a train aficionado, and was interested in
riding the historic Ashmont-
Dublin, Ireland. As first-
Quebec City, Canada. Quebec City is among our favorite places to visit, and we look
for something new to do each time we are there. 
On one occasion, friends from Ontario
with whom we were traveling invited us to join them on a walk within the wall that
surrounds the Upper Town. This was a long day—we left at 10:15 am and arrived back
on the ship at 3:15—and well worth every moment. Our friends were very well-
San Francisco, USA. A pre-
a large
fraternal organization, and has taken photos outside of many halls in several cities
and countries. Prior to our trip, he contacted the Secretary of the Masonic Lodge
in San Francisco to let them know of his impending visit. The response included an
invitation to a meeting that just so happened to be held during our time there. He
was welcomed warmly, and established new friendships. And, he got to reciprocate
their kindness rather quickly by serving as their host when they took a group cruise
to New England later in the year. While this particular option is not open to anyone,
consider doing something similar with organizations in which you are active—many
operate worldwide.
St. George, Bermuda. Many cruisers are attracted to Bermuda due to its renowned beaches,
and we are no exception. Having been to Bermuda several times, and having seen most
of the main sites, 
we decided to visit a beach a small beach that was more popular
with locals than with tourists. My research pointed us to Shelly Bay Beach, a public
beach in Hamilton Parish located on the #10 and #11 bus lines between St. George
and Hamilton. It was a beautiful beach. The sand was somewhat rough, including the
first several feet into the water, but was pristine the further out we went. There
was hardly any downward slope at all, the water was warm, and there were just small
wavelets. Facilities were minimal, yet suited our needs. The highlight of the day
was meeting a class from a local day camp, who was there for the afternoon. They
were very welcoming to us, and even taught our son to play cricket.
We hope to add to this list in the coming years. While none of these are as exciting
or mind-
Coming next month: Part II (New Destinations—Exploring New Itineraries)