We've written guides to more than 730 cruise ports. Each one tells you where the ship docks, how to get into town and what's worth your time. We also cover the ships, the cruise lines and what to pack.
New to cruising? Start with our first-timer's guide →
Every port is different. Some drop you right in the middle of town. Others leave you an hour away with a shuttle bus and a queue. Our port guides tell you which one you're dealing with, how to get around, what's worth seeing and how to fit it all in before the ship sails.
Choose where you're cruising below, or start with one of our most popular ports.
A lot of the big names sit a long way from the port. Florence is over an hour from Livorno and Rome is a similar trip from Civitavecchia, so it pays to sort the train or transfer before you arrive.
Most Caribbean port days come down to which beach. We'll tell you the ones you can walk to, the ones that need a taxi and the ones that aren't worth the fare.
The towns are small and the excursions aren't cheap, so you want to choose well. We'll tell you what's worth booking, what you can see on foot and what to do when four ships turn up on the same day.
In the fjords you get the view the minute you step off the ship. We'll point you to the best viewpoints, mountain railways and walks you can do in a few hours.
Sunshine in the Canaries, then a completely different world in Tangier or Agadir. Lots of winter cruises do both, and we've covered every stop.
Some ports here are a long way from anything you'd want to see. We'll tell you how to get there by shuttle or local train, and how long it'll take.
Cruising somewhere else? We've got port guides for these too.
Parking, terminals and getting to the ship, plus where to stay the night before.
Every region has its own season. The Caribbean is at its best when Europe is cold, the Mediterranean is best in spring and autumn, and Alaska is a summer-only trip. The calendar shows when each destination is at its best. Tell it where you're travelling from and it'll also show you how far each one is, and which ones you can sail to without flying. Pick a month to see what's in season.
It depends on the port. In some you walk off the ship and you're in town in ten minutes. In others the sights are an hour or more away by train or coach, and getting it wrong eats into your day. These are the routes people ask us about most, with the quickest way to do each one. Times are rough guides, door to door.
Go it alone when the sights are close and easy to reach. Book the ship's tour when they're a long way off, because the ship will wait for its own tours if they run late, but it won't wait for you.
Mostly it's what the fare doesn't include, and the things everyone assumes you already know. Here are the six questions that come up most, with a quick answer to each and a full guide if you want more.
Your fare gets you the cabin, the main restaurants and the shows. Tips, drinks, speciality restaurants, wifi, excursions and getting to the port are extra on most lines, and they add up fast. Our calculator works it out for you before you book.
Use the cruise budget calculator →Depends who you're sailing with. On Cunard, people dress up properly for gala evenings. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have dressy nights, but they're optional. Virgin Voyages doesn't do formal nights at all. Check before you pack a suit you'll wear once.
See formal night outfits →Only if you'll drink enough every day to make it pay. On many lines everyone in the cabin has to buy it, and you pay for every day, even the ones you spend ashore. Do the maths on how much you'll really drink first.
Are drinks packages worth the money? →Most lines add a daily tip to your bill automatically, and it's shared between the crew who look after you. You can ask to change it, but it's part of how the crew get paid, so think twice. A bit of extra cash for someone who's gone out of their way is welcome, but nobody expects it.
Read the cruise tipping guide →Yes, if you pick the right ship. Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and a few others have studio cabins built for one, and some sailings cut or drop the single supplement. Book early and be flexible on dates.
Read the solo cruise guide →Start with where you want to go and how long you've got. Then decide if you want to fly or sail from a port near home. That narrows it down fast. Leave the ship and the cabin until last.
Read the first-timer's guide →More than the price you see advertised. Once you add tips, drinks, wifi, excursions and getting to the port, the total can look very different. Our budget calculator works it out for you. There's also a checklist so you don't forget anything, and a planner for your day in Barcelona.
Put in your fare and how long you're cruising, tell it how you like to holiday, and it adds the extras for you.
Work out your budget →
Passports, insurance, online check-in, luggage tags, and all the little jobs people remember once they're already at the terminal.
Open the checklist →
Tell it how long you've got ashore, from a quick three-hour stop to a full day, and it gives you a ready-made plan for Barcelona, with what to see and the best order to do it in.
Plan your Barcelona day →Start with the type of ship, not the name. A family after water slides wants something very different from a couple looking for a quiet deck and a good book, and the size of the ship changes everything from the queues to the ports it can reach. Pick the kind of ship you're after, or jump straight to a ship guide or comparison below.
Which ships have the best slides and water parks, and the height rules for younger kids.
Floating resorts with everything on board, and what it’s really like sharing one with thousands of others.
Fewer people, no queues and ports the big ships can’t get into. Here’s who it suits.
What you get for the extra money, and which luxury lines are worth it.
What’s really included, what isn’t, and when it saves you money.
Small ships through the middle of Europe’s cities, with a new town most days.
Small, tough ships for the Arctic and Antarctica, and how to choose one.
Studio cabins built for one, so you don’t pay double to travel alone.
What each ship is like on board, who it suits and where it falls short.
Torn between two? We put them side by side.
Picked your ship? Here's how to choose the right cabin, eat well, pack the right clothes and avoid the extras that catch people out.
There are dozens of cruise lines and they're more different than the brochures make them look. Answer a few quick questions about who's going, what you enjoy and how you like to holiday, and we'll match you with the ocean or river cruise lines that suit you best. It's free and takes about a minute.
We don't sell cruises ourselves. When you're ready to book, we point UK readers to two specialist cruise agents we trust. Cruise118 compares sailings across all the big cruise lines. Its sister company Six Star Cruises does the same for luxury lines like Regent, Silversea and Seabourn.
Both are UK-based, so they're best if you're booking from the UK. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
There are five of us, each writing about the places and topics we know best, and Jo Pembroke, who started the site, leads the team. Every guide has the writer's name on it, so you always know whose advice you're following.
Jo Pembroke
Founder, no-fly cruises
A former cruise travel agent who's sailed everything from small expedition ships to the biggest resort ships at sea. She leads the editorial team.
Her no-fly cruise guides →
Patricia Langford
Mediterranean
Our Mediterranean veteran. She knows which ports are worth your day and which are tourist traps, and she'll tell you which is which.
Her Mediterranean guides →
Jasmine French
Polar and Alaska
A travel agent who specialises in polar expedition cruises and has been to both poles. She'll tell you why expedition cruises cost so much more, and when they're worth it.
Her polar cruise guides →
Sofia Martinez
Caribbean, Asia and Pacific
She's sailed enough tropical routes to know which islands get overrun with cruise passengers, and where to go instead.
Her Caribbean guides →
Zoe Richards
Cruise fashion
A fashion designer who learned the hard way what cruise dress codes mean, including which formal-night outfits get you turned away from the restaurant.
Her outfit guides →No cruise line pays to appear on this site, and nothing we write is paid for.
We earn a small commission on some of the tours and travel gear we link to. You don't pay any more, and it doesn't change what we say.
Ports, ships and dress codes change, so we go back and update our guides when they do.
