Welcome!

I’m Ellie Simons

Your go-to girl for all things cruising

Hi! I’m Ellie, and I’ve loved cruising since my first trip on the Disney Magic when I was eight. Since then, I’ve explored ports all over the world and learned that a little planning can completely change your day ashore.

I created Cruise Ports to share the tips I wish I had before visiting each port, from where your ship docks and what’s walkable to the places that are actually worth your time. Think of me as your cruise-obsessed friend helping you make the most of every stop.

Ellie Simons traveling
Ellie Simons traveling

Discover inspiring stories, packing guides, and expert travel tips to help you dream big & travel the world with confidence.

Explore the Blog

Behind the blog

How it all started

Cruise Ports started with one simple problem: every time I planned a cruise, I spent way too much time trying to figure out what to actually do in each port.

I wanted one place that answered the practical questions quickly, without digging through endless forums and outdated guides. So I decided to build it myself.

What started as a little passion project has grown into a collection of port guides designed to make exploring somewhere new feel a whole lot easier.

Get to Know Me

coffee order

oat milk flat white

favorite destination

patagonia

always in my carryon

airpods + a good book

AIRBNB or hotel?

hotel girlie!

On my bucket list

great barrier reef

Guilty pleasure

ben & jerry’s half baked

Window or aisle?

window always

currently binging

house of dragon

New here?

Explore the Most Popular

FAQ

Patagonia will always be hard to beat for me. Sailing around the tip of South America was one of those trips that completely reset my standards for scenery. I also love Alaska, smaller Caribbean islands, and basically any port where you can get off the ship and have an amazing day without needing a big organized excursion.

Norwegian is probably my go-to. I like how relaxed it feels, especially when I want a trip that doesn’t require planning every dinner or dressing up on a schedule. That said, I’m definitely an itinerary-first cruiser. I’ll happily switch cruise lines for the right ports.

I’ve been creating travel content for years, and Cruise Ports has been around since 2024. I’m an engineer by background, so naturally I turned my habit of obsessively researching ports, transportation, maps, and logistics into an entire website.

I can definitely share what I’ve learned. I’ve built and run several websites over the years, and most of what I know came from figuring things out myself, testing what works, and making plenty of mistakes along the way.

I’m always open to partnerships that genuinely fit Cruise Ports. That can include cruise lines, destinations, hotels, tourism boards, travel brands, hosted experiences, and other collaborations that would actually be useful or interesting to my readers.