About Ellie Simons
Welcome!
I’m Ellie Simons
Practical cruise-port planning from someone who loves the details
I’ve loved cruising since my first trip on the Disney Magic when I was eight. Since then, I’ve sailed to destinations around the world and learned that the best cruises usually come down to getting the little details right.
I created Cruise Ports to make the time you spend ashore easier to plan. Here you’ll find practical guidance on where your ship docks, what’s walkable, transportation, shore excursions, nearby hotels, accessibility, and how I would actually spend a limited day in port.
And because planning a cruise doesn’t stop at the gangway, I also created Cruise Ship Insights, where I cover the other half of the trip: cruise ships, cabins, deck plans, rooms to avoid, and the onboard decisions that can make or break your sailing.
Together, the two sites are designed to answer a pretty simple question: What do I need to know before I book this cruise and step onboard?
Where I’ve Sailed
Practical port guides, transportation details, and honest planning advice to help you make the most of every day ashore.
Behind the blog
How it all started
Cruise Ports started with one simple problem: every time I planned a cruise, I spent far 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I wanted one place that answered the practical questions quickly, without digging through endless forums and outdated guides. What started as a passion project has grown into a collection of port guides designed to make exploring somewhere new feel much easier.
These days you’ll also find me pinning port-day ideas over on Pinterest, and building tools like the free printable port guide builder so your whole itinerary fits in one PDF.
Cruise Ports focuses specifically on the destination side of cruising: terminals, transportation, walkability, realistic timing, hotels, shore excursions, accessibility, and making the most of the hours you actually have ashore.
As the site grew, I realized the same problem existed onboard. Travelers were also trying to figure out which cabins to book, which rooms to avoid, where noise comes from, and how ships differ. That became Cruise Ship Insights, a separate site devoted entirely to ships and cabins.
Keeping the two separate lets me go much deeper on both.
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 planning
my next cruise
FAQ
Where are you sailing next?
