Whereas most cruise ports are situated precisely the place they are saying they’re, there are some which might be over 120 miles away from the place they’re marketed.
Whenever you’re researching cruises, you’ll typically see ports listed as one metropolis, however then have one other listed in parenthesis. A typical instance can be: La Havre (Paris).
Those in parenthesis are often a serious metropolis like Paris or Rome whereas the primary is the precise port. How shut are these main cities to the ports that you simply arrive at?
There are some which might be simply the subsequent metropolis over. As an illustration, when visiting Piraeus, you’re proper subsequent to Athens.
On a latest cruise out of the port, I stood on the pool deck and regarded out and will see the Acropolis within the distance. It’s comprehensible why cruise strains would label it as Piraeus (Athens) because it’s proper there.
Nonetheless, some cities listed could be so far as a couple of hours away. Here’s a take a look at a few of these ports so you’ll be able to correctly plan forward should you’re visiting considered one of them on an upcoming cruise.
These are all ports that I’ve visited (no less than twice every) and have skilled first hand.
La Havre (Paris)
That is by far probably the most deceiving. La Havre is sort of all the time marketed as Paris by all cruise strains however how shut or far is Paris away from the port? Spoiler alert, you’re not hopping in a cab and taking a experience into town.
I’ve made the drive twice between the 2 on totally different visits. The port in La Havre is roughly 125 miles (200 km) away from the Eiffel Tower. Relying on site visitors, it may be anyplace from 2.5 to three hours every manner.
Sure, shore excursions to Paris are supplied however put together your self to spend shut to 6 hours in a bus simply going there and again.
If that is your solely probability in life to go to Paris then I might do it. In any other case, I’d go to someplace native.
Now river cruise ships will dock proper within the coronary heart of Paris on the Seine. Viking has secured premium docking areas for his or her ships which might be only a 15-20 minute stroll away from the Eiffel Tower.
For ocean ships, Google Maps has it as a forty five hour stroll from the port to the Eiffel Tower. So if you wish to do a cruise to Paris, take a river cruise.
IJmuiden (Amsterdam)
There are two totally different ports that your ship might dock at when visiting Amsterdam. There’s the most typical one proper within the coronary heart of town and one other on the North Sea (IJmuiden).
A few 12 months in the past, I visited with port officers at IJmuiden and so they informed me since cruise strains promote it as Amsterdam, many visitors assume that’s the place the ship will dock at.
They stated that visitors typically ask if they’ll stroll to the Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank Home, not realizing that they’re truly 40 minutes to an hour bus experience away (relying on site visitors).
There’s a proposal to ban all cruise ships from getting into town middle by 2035. If this goes by, all ships will probably cease at IJmuiden.
Civitavecchia (Rome)
One of many largest cruise ports in Europe, Civitavecchia is the cruise gateway to Rome.
From the cruise port to the Colosseum, it may be anyplace from an hour and 10 minutes to an hour and a half away. All of it relies on site visitors and they’re 55 miles aside.
The nonstop prepare takes 47 minutes from the port to the center of Rome (Termini) and is a superb possibility. I’ve taken it each methods and I desire it in comparison with taking a cab or utilizing a non-public automobile service. Additionally it is a ton cheaper.
Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur)
Two of my cruises out of Singapore had Kuala Lumpur (KL) listed as a port cease, nevertheless it was truly in Port Klang, about an hour away.
On our tour to KL, a couple of passengers requested if they may do their very own factor half manner by the day. Our tour information informed them that because the port was so far-off from KL, a cab wouldn’t solely cost them for the experience to Port Klang, but additionally for the experience again. They possibility to stay with our tour.
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
That is one the place Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line promote it as cruises from Orlando (Port Canaveral) and Carnival labels it as Port Canaveral (Orlando).
Port Canaveral is 50 minutes to an hour away from Orlando and 45 miles away from the Orlando Airport (MCO).
Not each port does this nonetheless. I’ve by no means seen Southampton marketed as London, though that doesn’t imply it doesn’t occur.
With all of that being stated, I didn’t write this to discourage you from visiting these ports. Amsterdam and Rome are two of my favourite cities to go to on the earth.
I simply don’t need you to reach in IJmuiden and ask which course you’ll be able to stroll in to succeed in the Rijksmuseum. And even worse, you arrive in La Havre and count on to take a brief taxi experience into Paris. Plan forward and have a fantastic go to to all of those areas.