desherchobi

VR only helps to hand hold at low shutter speeds. But it doesn't help with a moving subject. A VR lens in the f4.5-5.6 range cannot capture moving subject at low light. A faster lens can prevent blur both for the moving subject as well as hand shake because you can shoot at faster shutter speeds even in low light.

Depending upon your needs (its 200mm and not 300mm) and budget, I suggest the superb 80-200 f2.8 AFD. It won't disappoint you.

Get the 18-55, which you will never regret. At that cost you cannot possibly go wrong! Picture quality is good indeed and for most circumstances, would only be slightly worse than lenses that are ten times the price.

As you would be travelling, use the 18-55 for wide landscape shots and environmental portraits and use the 50/1.8 for close portraits. And if you want to cover the faraway ships at sea, you can get the 70-300G, which will not give you high quality pics beyond 200mm, and the light also have to be very good, otherwise autofocus may just keep hunting!

Anyway, good luck!