Cruise Port Guides
Everything you need to know before you step off the ship — 124 ports across 8 cruise regions.
Every guide covers the same ground: how far the pier is from town, which beaches are realistically reachable in a port day, what is worth eating, and a straight answer on whether the ship's excursion is worth its price or whether you are better off on your own. Start with a region below, or use the map to find the ports on your itinerary.
Cozumel
World-class reefs, turquoise water, and the best tacos al pastor in the Caribbean.
Nassau
Pink-sand beaches, colonial history, and Atlantis just a bridge away.
St. Maarten / St. Martin
Two countries, one island — world-famous beach, duty-free shopping, and jet-blast thrills.
Dubrovnik
The Pearl of the Adriatic — medieval walls, Game of Thrones filming locations, and crystal-clear sea.
Santorini
Iconic whitewashed villages, volcanic beaches, and sunsets that people fly across the world to see.
Juneau
Alaska's capital city — glaciers, bears, whale watching, and wilderness right from the pier.
St. Thomas
Duty-free shopping capital of the Caribbean — and a gateway to the world's best snorkelling at Buck Island.
Grand Cayman
Stingray City, Seven Mile Beach, and the clearest water in the western Caribbean.
Ocho Rios
Waterfall climbing, reggae rhythms, jerk chicken, and lush jungle in the heart of Jamaica.
Aruba
Constant trade winds, powder-white beaches, and a sun that almost never stops shining.
Key West
America's southernmost city — Hemingway bars, snorkelling reefs, and the most laid-back vibe in the U.S.
Barcelona
Gaudí's impossible architecture, world-class tapas, buzzing beaches, and a city that never stops.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
The gateway to Rome — the Colosseum, Vatican, and 2,000 years of history just 90 minutes away.
Athens (Piraeus)
The cradle of Western civilisation — the Acropolis, ancient Agora, and the best street food in Greece.
Kotor
A perfectly preserved medieval city at the foot of dramatic mountains — one of the most beautiful bays in Europe.
Naples & the Amalfi Coast
Pizza's birthplace, Pompeii's ruins, and the most dramatic coastline in the Mediterranean.
Skagway
A Gold Rush ghost town frozen in time — with some of the most spectacular train rides in North America.
Ketchikan
The Salmon Capital of the World — totems, rainforest trails, and floatplanes over misty fjords.
Bergen
Norway's gateway to the fjords — colourful wooden houses, fresh seafood, and mountain funiculars.
San Juan
Pastel colonial streets, a 16th-century fortress, and the birthplace of the piña colada.
St. Lucia
The twin Pitons, the Caribbean's most dramatic landscape, and a drive-in volcano.
Curaçao (Willemstad)
The Caribbean's most colourful capital, world-class wreck diving, and Dutch colonial charm.
Cartagena
A UNESCO walled city of candy-coloured colonial houses, massive Spanish fortresses, and Caribbean warmth.
Mykonos
Iconic windmills, whitewashed Cycladic architecture, and the most glamorous island in Greece.
Kusadasi (Ephesus)
The Library of Celsus, one of the great ancient cities of the world — and all just 20 minutes from the pier.
Lisbon
Tram rides through steep cobblestone hills, pastéis de nata, and one of Europe's most enchanting capitals.
Flåm
A tiny village at the end of Norway's most scenic fjord — and the starting point of one of the world's great railway journeys.
Barbados (Bridgetown)
The most British island in the Caribbean — rum, cricket, coral beaches, and the world's oldest rum distillery.
Belize City
Mayan jungle temples, the world's second-largest barrier reef, and the mysterious Great Blue Hole.
Roatán
The Caribbean's best-value diving — pristine Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, West Bay Beach, and jungle zip-lines.
Antigua
365 beaches — one for every day of the year — plus the most beautifully preserved Georgian naval harbour in the Caribbean.
Grenada (St. George's)
The Spice Isle — nutmeg, Grand Anse Beach, lush rainforest, and the Caribbean's most picturesque harbour capital.
Falmouth
Jamaica's best-preserved Georgian town, gateway to Dunn's River Falls and the Glistening Waters Luminous Lagoon.
Montego Bay
Jamaica's tourist capital — Doctor's Cave Beach, world-class jerk, and the Hip Strip a short taxi from the pier.
St. Kitts (Basseterre)
A UNESCO fortress, a scenic railway, and an undiscovered gem of the Eastern Caribbean.
Dominica (Roseau)
The Nature Isle of the Caribbean — volcanic hot springs, ancient rainforest, and whale watching unlike anywhere else.
Martinique (Fort-de-France)
The most French place in the Caribbean — boulangeries, rhum agricole, Creole cuisine, and beaches that rival the Riviera.
Tortola (Road Town)
The sailing capital of the Caribbean — pristine BVI waters, Cane Garden Bay, and access to the magical Baths at Virgin Gorda.
Costa Maya
Mexico's quieter Caribbean coast — Mayan ruins, turquoise lagoons, and a genuine fishing village just minutes from the pier.
St. Vincent (Kingstown)
Gateway to the Grenadines — volcanic peaks, the oldest botanical garden in the Western Hemisphere, and the Tobago Cays marine park.
Grand Turk
Turquoise water, a world-famous wall dive, wild horses on the beach, and a Caribbean island that time forgot.
Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre)
A French Caribbean butterfly — volcanic peaks, white-sand beaches, and Creole cuisine in an overseas corner of France.
Bonaire (Kralendijk)
The diver's paradise of the southern Caribbean — shore diving from dawn to dusk with flamingos for company.
Puerto Plata
The Silver Coast of the Dominican Republic — a hilltop fortress, amber mines, and a cable car over the Caribbean.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean's private island playground with beach clubs, a giant waterpark, and clear Bahamian water.
Labadee
A dramatic Haitian peninsula leased for cruise guests, known for beaches, zip lines, and mountain views.
La Romana
Gateway to Altos de Chavon, Casa de Campo, and clear-water island escapes on the Dominican southeast coast.
Half Moon Cay (RelaxAway)
Carnival's private Bahamian island with powder-soft beaches, turquoise shallows, and laid-back beach-day energy.
Great Stirrup Cay
NCL's private island retreat with calm coves, reef snorkeling, and a classic easy Caribbean beach day.
Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve
MSC's marine-reserve island with multiple beaches, a central lagoon, and a modern lighthouse at sunset.
Bimini
The closest Bahamian islands to Florida, famous for clear water, fishing legends, and easy beach days.
Harvest Caye
NCL's private Belize destination with a giant pool, beach access, and quick launches to mainland adventures.
Puerto Limon
Costa Rica's Caribbean gateway for rainforest wildlife, Afro-Caribbean cuisine, and easy eco-adventure day trips.
Isla Tropicale (Mahogany Bay), Roatán
Carnival's Roatan cruise center with direct pier access, an on-site beach, and quick launches to the island's best snorkeling and shoreline escapes.
West Bay (Roatan)
Roatan's showpiece beach - white sand, reef snorkeling from shore, and the clearest cruise-day water on the island.
Mahahual
The laid-back fishing village just beyond Costa Maya - beachfront palapas, cheap seafood, and the local version of the cruise stop.
Progreso
The quiet Yucatán beach town with the world's longest pier — and the closest cruise gateway to Mérida and Chichén Itzá.
Colón (Panama Canal)
The Caribbean gateway to one of the great engineering feats on Earth — full transits, lock visits, and rainforest day trips.
Venice
Canals, gondolas, and centuries of maritime history — the single most iconic port call in the Mediterranean.
Palma de Mallorca
Balearic beaches, a soaring Gothic cathedral, and easy tapas-hopping in one of Spain's most walkable port cities.
Valletta
A whole UNESCO World Heritage capital packed into a fortified peninsula — baroque churches, harbour views, and Knights-of-Malta history.
Sitka
Russian-America history, totem poles, and easy wildlife encounters on Alaska's outer coast.
Icy Strait Point
Alaska's most reliable whale-watching stop, run by and for the Tlingit village of Hoonah.
Geiranger
The postcard fjord — sheer cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and one of the most photographed views in Norway.
Livorno (Florence & Pisa)
Tuscany's cruise gateway — the Leaning Tower is 20 minutes away, Michelangelo's Florence about 90.
Nice (Villefranche-sur-Mer)
The French Riviera on a tender — Monaco, Nice, and Cannes all reachable by train from the bay.
Corfu
Venetian old town, olive groves, and turquoise coves on the greenest of the Greek islands.
Katakolon (Olympia)
A tiny fishing village that's the gateway to Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games.
Split
A Roman emperor's palace that's still a living, breathing old town on the Dalmatian coast.
Palermo
Sicily's chaotic, delicious capital — Norman cathedrals, street markets, and Mondello Beach.
Seward
Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park — glaciers, whales, and Resurrection Bay wildlife.
Victoria, BC
A garden city stop on Alaska round-trip itineraries — afternoon tea, Butchart Gardens, and a walkable harbour.
Stavanger
Norway's seafood capital and the launch point for the legendary Pulpit Rock hike.
Málaga
Sun-soaked Andalusian city break with a walkable old town, tapas bars, and the Alhambra a day trip away.
Marseille
France's oldest city — bouillabaisse, Notre-Dame de la Garde's hilltop views, and the gateway to Provence.
Genoa (Cinque Terre & Portofino)
Italy's grandest old port — pesto, palazzi, and the easiest launch point for Cinque Terre and Portofino.
Messina (Taormina & Mount Etna)
Sicily's gateway port — a walkable old town of its own, with Taormina's clifftop views and Mount Etna both within reach.
Monaco (Monte Carlo)
The world's second-smallest country — a casino, a palace, and a harbour of superyachts, all within a 10-minute walk.
Cádiz (Seville)
Western Europe's oldest city, a golden-domed cathedral on the water, and the easiest launch point for Seville.
Ibiza
A UNESCO-listed walled old town by day, famous beach clubs by afternoon — Ibiza works well beyond the nightlife reputation.
Rhodes (Lindos)
A UNESCO medieval walled city right at the pier, with the clifftop village of Lindos an hour further south.
Alicante
A hilltop castle, a beach steps from the pier, and Spain's nougat capital — an easy, walkable port day.
Cagliari
Sardinia's capital — a hilltop medieval quarter, panoramic bastions, and eight kilometres of city beach.
Ajaccio
Napoleon's birthplace — a citadel, a beach, and Corsican mountains, all within a short walk of the pier.
Bodrum
A crusader castle guards the harbour, one of the Seven Wonders once stood nearby, and the bazaar is right off the pier.
Zadar
A 3,000-year-old old town, an ocean-powered musical instrument, and Alfred Hitchcock's favourite sunset.
Freeport (Lucaya)
Grand Bahama's quieter port — underwater caves, a genuine beach town, and swimming pigs a boat ride away.
Haines
Alaska's 'Adventure Capital' — the world's largest gathering of bald eagles, minus the cruise-town polish.
Wrangell
Ancient petroglyphs on the beach, bear-viewing by boat, and a dock that drops you straight onto Front Street.
Homer
The 'Halibut Fishing Capital of the World' — a 4.5-mile gravel spit lined with fishing boats and dive bars.
Cabo San Lucas
Where the desert meets the sea at Land's End — El Arco, sea lions, and world-class sportfishing.
Puerto Vallarta
A cobblestone Old Town, a beachfront art walk, and jungle-covered mountains right behind the bay.
Mazatlán
One of the world's longest boardwalks, a colonial Old Town, and Mexico's shrimp capital.
Ensenada
The birthplace of the fish taco, a natural blowhole, and Baja's booming wine country close behind.
King's Wharf (Royal Naval Dockyard)
A 19th-century fortress turned cruise port — museums, dolphins, and a shuttle to Bermuda's pink-sand beaches.
Hamilton
Bermuda's tidy harbour capital — pastel storefronts, a cathedral, and the easiest ferry hop to the beaches.
St. George's
Bermuda's UNESCO-listed original capital — 400-year-old lanes, a town square, and a beach ten minutes away.
Honolulu
A real downtown, a royal palace, Pearl Harbor, and Waikiki Beach all inside a short taxi ride.
Kahului (Maui)
The gateway to the Road to Hana — 59 bridges, 600 curves, and waterfalls the whole way.
Nawiliwili (Kauai)
The Garden Isle — Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali Coast, and a genuinely swimmable beach near the pier.
Kailua-Kona (Big Island)
World-famous coffee, easy snorkelling, and volcanoes two hours away on the Big Island's sunny side.
Ålesund
An entire town rebuilt in Art Nouveau style after a fire — with the best view in Norway a short climb away.
Eidfjord
A tiny fjord village that's the gateway to one of Norway's most powerful waterfalls.
Olden
A single-glacier-focused port — Norway's most-visited glacier and a dramatic cable car, no old town required.
Catalina Island (Avalon)
A Mediterranean-style island getaway 22 miles off the California coast — no car needed, golf carts optional.
Copenhagen
Colourful canal houses, a tiny mermaid, and the terminal you dock at changes everything about your day.
Stockholm
Fourteen islands, a medieval old town, and a 17th-century warship that sank four minutes into its maiden voyage.
Helsinki
A neoclassical cathedral square, a sea fortress UNESCO site, and Finnish design at every turn.
Tallinn
One of Europe's best-preserved medieval old towns, and one of the easiest walks off any ship in the Baltic.
Amsterdam
17th-century canal houses, world-class museums, and a city best seen from the water at least once.
Istanbul
Two continents, a thousand years of mosques and bazaars — and a cruise terminal right on the Bosphorus.
La Spezia (Cinque Terre)
The gateway to the Cinque Terre — five clifftop villages, one short train ride from the ship.
Gibraltar
A British-flavoured town under a 426-metre limestone Rock — with wild monkeys, tunnels and Atlantic views.
Heraklion (Crete)
Crete's capital — the Minoan palace of Knossos, a Venetian harbour fortress, and Greece's best archaeology museum.
Valencia
Spain's third city — the birthplace of paella, a futuristic arts complex, and a Gothic old town.
Funchal (Madeira)
Madeira's flower-draped capital — cable cars, wicker toboggans and seaside cliff walks.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Spain's volcano island — Mount Teide, black-sand beaches and a laid-back Canary capital.
Bari
Puglia's port city — a maze of old-town lanes, handmade orecchiette, and the gateway to Alberobello and Matera.
Chania (Crete)
Crete's prettiest harbour — a Venetian old town, a lighthouse, and a famous pink-sand beach within reach.
Patmos
The island where St. John wrote Revelation — a fortress-like monastery, a sacred cave and a whitewashed hilltop village.
Tangier
Africa at the Strait of Gibraltar — a hilltop medina, a kasbah, and a lighthouse where two seas meet.
Toulon (Provence)
A working naval harbour with a cable car to the summit — and a handy base for Cassis, Aix and Provence.
Cartagena (Spain)
A Roman theatre, a submarine, and an old town steps from the ship — Spain's easiest walk-off port.
Trieste
Italy's coffee capital — a grand Habsburg square on the sea, a fairytale castle and the Slovenian border next door.