Best Liberty Ports: What's to know

[BigIron]

Rota - I thought it was nice. Cadiz is a pretty cool region and there are nice beaches. MWR tours through Andalucia and the white washed cities (or whatever they're called).

Palma - excellent. Magaluf is a must see / experience. Caveat is the same people on the boat with you will be with you on libbo. You can also venture over to the German/Dutch side. That's an adventure too.

Dubai - same as all of the above. Sandbox lib is a potential depending on the FP status.

Portsmouth, UK. Not bad. Anchorage and lib boats. People speak English. MWR trips to London, etc.

Busan - Good. Wx dependent.

 

[KBayDog]

A few:

Guam - Avoid Otto

Darwin - Unless you like hippie backpackers, the town itself is kind of limited; go on a tour (Litchfield Nat'l Park is the heat).

Sydney - Damn near everything is within walking distance of Woolloomooloo, or at least a quick train ride. Stayed at the Grace Sydney; pretty good, and its claim to fame is that it was MacArthur's Sydney headquarters during WWII. *Get a Tiger pie at Harry's on the pier at Woolloomooloo. Bring your appetite.

Perth - Plenty to do in a small area. Had a good time at the Belgian Beer Cafe.

Dubai - Same as everyone else above, but recommend you visit the Burj Khalifa, if for nothing than to say that you've been there.

Phuket - Be prepared to be barraged with offers for suits, massages, and tuk-tuks. Yes, there are plenty of "on-the-level" massage parlors; if you've never had an authentic Thai massage, GET ONE (but expect to be sore for a day or two afterwards). Most one-hour Thai massages, last time we were there, averaged ~$5-7 (at the mall). Not too shabby. (I can't speak for any of the other types of massage parlors, sorry.)

Aqaba - GET TO PETRA!! One of the most amazing places you will ever visit.

Subic - Shake your head.

Other than that, recommendations mirror those of previous posters.

 

[Pags]

Since I've been in the fleet I've either never made a port call or was on a port call my entire deployment to Bahrain. Bahrain was ok, but got boring after awhile. Good opportunities to get some nice rugs, suits, and gold. Some nice restaurants to enjoy as well. But in the end, if Dubai is the Vegas of the middle east then Bahrain is the Atlantic city.

When I was a mid my 2/c cruise was pre-9/11 so we went from Malaga, Spain to cannes, France and finally on to civatevechia, Italy. That cruise was awesome. Lots of good bars, good times, and chance too see some old world culture once the booze money ran out.

 

[HeloBubba]

To bad there is no more Subic/Cubi.

+1

 

[Jim123]

"They" claim that Colon is really unsafe. My parents actually visited the town and said it wasn't that bad.

With Colon, if you start walking from the pier/port then just as easy to find good areas as it is easy to get lost in some not-so-good areas... easy enough that if you turned a whole boat loose on liberty like most other liberty ports then it wouldn't take long for somebody to get in trouble (most likely pickpocketing/petty crime that could turn violent).

I've been there on TAD and I'd agree with your parents' assessment; it wouldn't be high on my list of fun liberty ports though.

 

[Jim123]

PhrogLoop and LSO mentioned Marmaris, Turkey. The trick with that (much like CAMike's plan for SCUBA cert in Caribbean ports), is to get the CO onboard with the idea of bringing shotguns back in his ship's armory... although first you need to get the right people in the ship's company in on the plan- starting with the Ord-O/Gun-O and some key department heads (combat systems, ops), and broach the subject before you pull in to port. It's legal and there is plenty of gouge on how...

Turks make some good quality shotguns for a decent price. Plus there is the sheer novelty of owning one.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Turks make some good quality shotguns for a decent price. Plus there is the sheer novelty of owning one.

Even if you can't get the ship onboard with bringing them back, you can have them shipped to an FFL in the states. That's how MB pulled it off, and why PSW and I both have shotguns from Turkey...


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[jt71582]

Thanks for this thread, guys. Makes me almost excited to deploy.

 

[BusyBee604]

...although first you need to get the right people in the ship's company in on the plan- starting with the Ord-O/Gun-O and some key department heads (combat systems, ops), and broach the subject before you pull in to port..

Also recommend include CV Weapons DH, & 5th Div-O (Armory).
BzB

 

[Brett327]

Also recommend include CV Weapons DH, & 5th Div-O (Armory).
BzB

Those kinds of shenanigans are probably not going to be going down on a big ship - not these days.

Brett

 

[MasterBates]

Ft Lauderdale once during a C2X - but that doesn't really count.

"Practicing" 5th Fleet Lib rules 4 hours from home.

Fuck that, pass, I just want to go the fuck home being that close.

Worst. Portcall. Ever.

Best, with no regard for money spent.
1-Palma/Malaguf for reasons mentioned
2-Muscat Oman.. "Safe" middle east, but not all touristed up like Dubai/Bahrain
3-Keil, Germany during "Keil Week". Think the German version of Fleet Week in NYC. Lots of BEER.
4-Helsinki, Finland. Women. Hot. Women.
5-Ventspils, Latvia (Ventspils kind of sucks, but Riga rules. Go to Riga. Would be #3 if Riga) *Disclaimer. I'm Latvian. I speak the language. I go on vacation here.
6-Dubai. Provided it's not 80 out, Dubai, 60 out, Dubai, 45 out, Dubai, and so on for 7 months.
7-Antalya, Turkey.. Shotguns, Ruins, NOT FUCKING DUBAI AGAIN FOR THE 3rd FUCKING TIME.
8-Naples. Vesuvius and Pompeii, Capri and Rome. Naples proper kind of blows goats.
9- GITMO

Sadly, in 4 deployments, these are the ONLY places I went.

Port count-
1-Palma, Muscat, Keil, Ventspils, Helsinki, Antalya, Naples
2-Palma
4-Bahrain
8-Dubai

 

[Gatordev]

With Colon, if you start walking from the pier/port then just as easy to find good areas as it is easy to get lost in some not-so-good areas... easy enough that if you turned a whole boat loose on liberty like most other liberty ports then it wouldn't take long for somebody to get in trouble (most likely pickpocketing/petty crime that could turn violent).

I hear you, but the same could be said for Panama City, with plenty of examples of how sailors have been "taken." Not the Liam Neeson kind of Taken, just varying levels of harassment.

And let's not forget Manta. Thank god they don't let anyone go there, anymore. Probably at least as nefarious as Colon. And I've been to some of the off-limits places with NCIS. Yikes.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I remember having a blast in P.I. both out in town and on Grande Island, damned volcano!

 

[wlawr005]

Didn't see Seychelles anywhere in here..."OK" touristy resort type hotels (there are only two on the island) with cheap local booze and decent gambling/card tables.

Great food and even better beaches...very much akin to the Caribbean with lots more rocks and stuff to snorkle/dive around.

 

[TheBubba]

Ok to never go again: ... Busan.

I'll agree with this one. Spent 2 weeks in Busan last fall. Had a good time, but I'll be fine not to go again.