Planning

This is the section for the questions that come up between booking a cruise and walking down the gangway, the ones that are not about any single port.

How early do you really need to be back on board, and what happens if you are not? Does a tender port change what a day can hold? Which ports work with a stroller, a wheelchair, or a companion who cannot walk far? Is a ship excursion worth the premium, or is a local operator or a plain taxi the better call? And when four ships are in on the same day, which attractions become unbearable and which barely notice?

The guides here are written to be read before you commit money, while excursions are still refundable and the itinerary is still flexible. They lean on the same reporting as the port guides, but organized around the decision rather than the destination.

Good places to start: what a tender port actually means, the most walkable cruise ports, best ports for first-timers, wheelchair-friendly cruise ports, how early to return to the ship, and the most crowded cruise ports.

Every planning guide on the site is listed below.