Why Some Smart Cruise Travelers Stay on the Ship During Port Days

WHEN SUSAN HARSELL, a travel adviser based in Basye, Va., arrives at a port during a cruise vacation, she runs through a mental checklist to decide whether she wants to get off the ship or not. She evaluates her ship’s arrival time (afternoon arrivals are less crowded than mornings), length of stay and the number and size of other ships already at port. Only when she’s confident she’ll have a rewarding, immersive visit ashore does she get off the ship.

Every cruise port call triggers this dilemma and few of us can weigh the options as professionally as Harsell can. Staying on deck can bring on unbearable levels of FOMO, but if you disembark with little sense of what you’re in for, you might end up packed into a tour bus, wishing you were on your third margarita on the ship’s deck instead. To make the most out of days off the ship—and to know when to stay put—it helps to do some leg work.

Know Your Ports

On “port days,” when the ship is docked, cruisers step out of the bubble of a cruise ship and stretch their legs. Some travelers view those days—and the ability to pop into multiple places—as the whole point of the trip.

But in certain ports, your ship might pull into a spot next to six other mega liners. The best strategy in these cases: Skip group activities and opt for an in-and-out approach. “Get off early, knock out what you want to do and then get back on the ship,” advised Doug Parker, host of Cruise Radio, a podcast about cruises.

Before Barry Maher, a motivational speaker based in Santa Barbara, Calif., steps foot on any ship, he studies its port stops. “I know which ones I want to hit,” he said, “and decide how I want to hit them,” whether on his own or as part of a ship tour.

If you value immersing yourself in a destination, or dislike traveling long distances on shore visits, think small. Smaller lines like Windstar Cruises and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection can dock at less-crowded ports closer to the action. In Bermuda, big ships pull into the Royal Navy Dockyard, but a dock on Front Street in Hamilton caters to smaller ships and obviates the need for bus rides.

At the cruise terminal in Vancouver, you’re just steps from key attractions, like the Vancouver Lookout, which offers 360 views of downtown. In St. Maarten, you might have to travel a bit to get to Maho Beach, where planes buzz right overhead as they land, but for planespotters, it’s a no-brainer.

Think in terms of the value proposition, says Parker. Look at cost, personal interest, transit time and activity time. He might pass on, say, a crowded in-and-out tour, but happily take a break from the sun deck and hop into a bus for a new experience like learning to play Gaelic football in Cork, Ireland.

Know Yourself

Before you go ashore, get real about your fitness level. Port days can mean a lot of walking, especially in the Mediterranean, a region known for hot sun and long shore visits. Harsell advises her clients “to find whatever balance is right for them.” Most cruise concierges will happily provide a rundown of the terrain well in advance.

Cruisers with limited mobility, for instance, might not welcome the uneven cobblestone streets in Santorini. And a “tender port,” where you must take a small boat to go ashore, can prove challenging.

It’s not always clear when booking if a port is docked or tendered, so “I always call the cruise line during the booking process,” said Cory Lee, a wheelchair-travel expert who shares his experiences on his website, Curb Free with Cory Lee. Lee likes newer ships, like Virgin Voyages’ fleet, which offer greater accessibility.

If you’re the independent type who likes to skip the group tour and go out on your own, it’s up to you to make your way back to the ship on time. Synchronize your watch with the ship’s time, then set your phone to Airplane Mode, advised Parker. The local time might differ from the ship time or you might cross time zones on an excursion. Both make it too easy to miss the ship at day’s end.

Skip the Lines

If you’re strategic, port days can double as spa days. When you know you’re in for an underwhelming shore experience, stay on board and get pampered instead—and enjoy a discount to boot, typically at least 20% off on major cruise lines like Celebrity and Crystal Cruises when on-ship spa demand is low.

On sea days, the lines for ship amenities can be maddening, especially for in-demand activities, like roller coasters and waterslides. Knowing in advance which shore days you’ll skip can eliminate anxiety about missing out on those attractions. You can just give them a whirl when everyone else is loading into the tour bus.