Cruise Days At Port

Well here you are! You've made it to a destination port. So much to see, so little time. We'll try to help you get the most out of the hours you have at port.

Of course, as mentioned before, getting the most out of your days at port means getting to bed early the night before, so you're rested and ready to go ashore as soon as possible. Often times the ship will only be at port for 8 or 9 hours, so you want to be in line, having eaten breakfast, when the crew begins letting passengers off.

It's a good idea to find out where on the ship this will happen ahead of time. There are several doors that can be opened, depending on how the ship docks, and usually only one will be used on a given day. This information will probably be given a day or two in advance of the ship's arrival at a port. Knowing this will keep you from wasting time running around the ship that morning.

Before you go down to exit the ship, make sure you have, among other things, your 'sail and sign'-type card and some cash (small denominations). Other suggestions include your normal photo ID, a bottle or two of water, and snack food. Beach bags and/or fanny packs are handy for bringing items you may need, and also are helpful for carrying souvenirs back into the ship.

If you have booked an excursion through your cruise line, be sure you have your excursion tickets. Once you leave the ship, you should see, somewhere near or on the pier, a sign showing where your excursion group should meet.

If you take a taxi somewhere, be sure to note the taxi number painted on the vehicle, just in case you forget any belongings in there.

And of course, go have fun! Use common sense when out and about, just like you would anytime you're away from home.

Above all, make sure you know what time your ship is scheduled to leave port, and be sure to be back aboard with ample time to spare. The ship will not wait for you if you're late getting back. They've got 2000 screaming passengers waiting to get to their next destination. You really don't want to have to get plane tickets to your ship's next destination -- besides, you'd miss the warm chocolate melting cake at dinner tonight!

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