I couldn't agree more! When my parents retired in 1989 they weren't well-off enough to travel a lot, and after being homebodies all those years there weren't a lot of places they really wanted to see. The only "cruises" they ever took included a genuine cruise along the southern shore of Alaska. The ship never really got out onto the open ocean. They said the food was good, and they saw a lot of beautiful sights. The other was a paddleboat "cruise" halfway up the Mississippi River and back. Good food but not a lot more.
They took 2 overseas trips (from the U.S.). One to the Holy Land w/ a group, which included 2 or 3 days on a side trip to Paris. They weren't fans of Paris, and they didn't see halfway edible food the whole time. My mother had packed a suitcase of snacks which is all they had to eat some days.
My dad served in the U.S. Army in WWII and "toured" Italy from one end to the other, most of it on foot, often while being shot at (and shooting). He always talked about how beautiful the country was and promised to take my mother there someday. And so, years later, they took a nearly 2-week tour of Italy. My parents were both tall but both slender, neither with any extra pounds to lose. One of the things they looked forward to was the wonderful cuisine in Italy. When I picked them up at the airport 2 weeks later, I was shocked. My dad was clutching the front of his Sansabelts to keep them from falling down! My mother had lost a similar amount of weight. They said they didn't eat a single decent meal the entire trip! The "Legend of Italian Cuisine" was a family legend I always think about when I hear people rave over Italy's food.
I'm sure there are good places off the beaten path. They were w/ a group but on their own for breakfast and lunch, so they tried a variety of places, but it sounded awful. Not to mention the prices. There were sidewalk cafes w/ outdoor tables, but you had to pay extra to sit down (after serving yourself inside) to eat the food. They were w/ a couple they knew from home, and one morning they ordered brunch for 4 at one of these places. Dropped $80 USD each for 2 single-egg omelets and 2 milkshakes.