11 Reasons Cruise Passengers Remain on the Ship While in Port

For some cruise passengers, the whole point of taking a cruise is to hop from destination to destination, spending a day somewhere new and then heading off to the next port. It’s a way to see a lot of different places in one vacation.

However, you’ll notice something possibly surprising during your cruise: Not everyone gets off the cruise ship while the ship is in port. Some cruisers choose to forgo the in-port experience and remain right where they are.

Why? Here are 11 reasons why some passengers choose to remain on the cruise ship while they’re in port, and why you might consider doing so, too.

1. No Waiting in Line

A cruise ship can be a busy, crowded place. Even the big mega ships, like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, with its 20 decks, can feel a bit crowded every now and then, thanks to the 7,000-plus passenger capacity.

However, the large majority of cruise ship passengers head off the ship while it’s in port — meaning you get to enjoy the entire thing almost completely to yourself.

You’ll only be sharing the ship with your other fellow cruisers who are savvy enough to know that this is the time you can enjoy those top cruise ship experiences without standing in lengthy lines.

That’s right. Head to the buffet and walk right up to the food, no standing there with a plate in hand, waiting your turn. Have a problem? Go to guest services and you’ll find help immediately. Hate standing in line at the elevator? You won’t have to!

Whatever it is you want to do on your cruise ship, if you’ve been avoiding it simply because you know it’ll take a lengthy wait, just hold off until a port day and stay aboard.

2. There’s Plenty of Space by (and in!) the Pool

In this vein, just like you won’t have to wait in line a lot while exploring the cruise ship during a port day, you also won’t have to battle it out against your fellow cruisers for a spot by the pool.

If you’ve cruised before, you know how difficult it can be. There’s a finite number of loungers near the pool and, if you don’t arrive early enough, you could find yourself out of luck, with no lounger.

Even if you do arrive at the pool relatively early, you could find that all the nice loungers in the shade are taken, and that many loungers have been pseudo-reserved by cruisers who’ve simply placed their towels on their chairs and then disappeared (though cruise lines are cracking down on this practice!).

This is not the case on port days, when the majority of cruise ship passengers are off the ship, leaving all the loungers free for your picking.

Additionally, just like those extra passengers won’t be by the pool, they also won’t be in the pool. Say goodbye to a crowded cruise ship pool where you’re practically (or literally) bumping elbows with the guy beside you. On port days, you have plenty of space to splash and swim.

3. Been There, Done That

For some cruisers who decide to remain on the ship during port days, it’s not a matter of enjoying all the perks of doing so. Instead, they’ve simply already been there, done that.

If you’re taking a fairly popular cruise, like Caribbean cruises that hit all the island hotspots, it’s not uncommon for your fellow cruisers to have already visited those islands at a previous time. As such, they might decide that getting off the ship and spending the day running around the destination just isn’t worth the hassle.

4. The Port Just Isn’t That Interesting

While cruise lines do make an effort to visit cruise destinations that are interesting and enjoyable for their cruisers, that’s not always how it works out. In some cases, the port doesn’t really offer that much to do.

If you don’t book a specific shore excursion, you may just end up doing nothing at all. In some other cases, the port is just filled with tourist traps, or maybe the port is near an interesting city, but you have to travel overland to get there, using up valuable time.

Some of the worst ports of call that cruisers have been to? Noted destinations include Le Havre, France; Belize City, Belize; Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; Colon, Panama; and Ensenada, Mexico. Surprisingly, a fair number of cruisers also don’t care for Nassau, even though it’s a highly popular cruise destination!

5. A Port Day is the Perfect Chance to Relax

If you’re hoping to relax a bit during your cruise, you may find that, once you get on the cruise ship, relaxation is harder to come by than you initially expected.

Sure, you can visit the spa, and there are adults-only areas on many ships (like the Solarium on Royal Caribbean), but many public spaces on a cruise ship are busy and crowded — hardly conducive to relaxing.

That’s not the case during a port day, when the crowds are gone. You can really slow down, enjoy the cruise ship at your own pace and not feel rushed or harried as you explore and enjoy all there is to do on these mini floating resorts.

Stay in bed and sleep in, without worrying about catching that in-demand lounger at the pool. Leisurely make your way to the buffet for breakfast, without worrying about the lines.

Read Also: Cruise vs All-Inclusive Resort – Choosing Your Dream Getaway

Head to the gym for a yoga session without battling for a spot. Slip into the pool or a hot tub and enjoy all the open space you need, and then head to the bar for drinks that arrive nearly as soon as you order them.

Doesn’t that sound like the relaxing vacation you want?

Additionally, it’s worth considering just how many ports your itinerary will visit. Some cruise ships visit a port every single day. Some visit even more than that!

If you find the idea of getting on and off the ship every single day, or multiple times a day, exhausting, you’ll want to plan to stay aboard the ship at least a day or two, to give yourself a chance to really relax.

6. You Can Get Some Discounts

Cruise ships know that there won’t be as much demand for their services and products during a port day, and so they often offer certain discounts during those days.

If you’ve been wanting to, for example, go to the spa during your cruise, but you’ve balked at the treatment prices, you may be able to find great deals on treatments during port days.

Look for port day discounts on the ship’s app or daily schedule of activities. Celebrity Cruises and Crystal Cruises, for example, offer spa discounts that are up to 20% off treatments!

7. It’s More Budget-Friendly to Stay on the Ship

While it’s perfectly possible to plan a budget-friendly cruise, especially if you avoid booking any extras, such as spa treatments or dinners at specialty restaurants, if you’re really trying to cut costs in all areas, you may want to also consider staying on the ship during port days.

As mentioned, during port days, you can get discounts on the ship, but additionally, you’ll avoid paying for pricey shore excursions. Even if you don’t book any shore excursions, you’ll likely find that, by just being in the port destination, you’re going to spend extra cash, purchasing overpriced souvenirs, food, bottled water, you name it.

Staying on the ship during a port day can ultimately be your best choice for saving cash.

All that said, though, if you do decide to stay on the ship for budget reasons, don’t think it has to be an all or nothing choice. You don’t have to skip every single port in order to save cash.

Worth Reading: How to Make the Most of Your Cruise Without Overspending

Instead, consider skipping some ports that you’re less interested in, and then save your cash for spending on some of those bucket list-worthy shore excursions that you’d really prefer to experience.

8. Many Activities Don’t Slow Down

While, yes, you won’t find all the wide range of cruise ship activities in full swing on port days, as the cruise line knows there’ll be lesser demand, you will still find that many activities don’t slow down despite the lack of lines.

However, some venues may be closed entirely on certain ships and with certain cruise lines during port days. For example, Carnival’s casinos and shops are closed on port days.

You can still enjoy a full lineup of daily activities like seminars and games. All the big ship activities that you’d normally have to wait in line for, like go-kart racing, a roller coaster, waterslides, surf simulators or sky diving simulators, are still open. Restaurants are still open.

So, don’t think that just because it’s a port day, everything on the ship is shut down and closed, leaving you with nothing to do. You can still do everything you like, pretty much, just more easily.

9. It’s the Perfect Time to Get Those Pics

If you like to capture your cruise in every single way, from embarkation to debarkation, with tons of photos and videos, you may find yourself frustrated every time you’re trying to get that perfect shot and a fellow cruiser wanders into your view. That’s not the case during port days, though.

Pull out your camera or GoPro and go exploring. With the ship relatively empty, you’ll be able to get perfect photos of not just your family and traveling companions, but of the ship itself as well.

10. You Can Make the Most of Your Beverage Package

If you’ve purchased a high-priced beverage package and really want to get your money’s worth, a port day is the best time to do so.

For one, you won’t need to stand in line at the bar for any large amount of time, to get your next cocktail. For two, you can actually enjoy those cocktails by the pool or in one of the other public spaces on the ship, without being annoyed by crowds.

If you just prefer to post up at the bar to down a cocktail or two, you can do that as well, without frustratingly searching for a good seat and coming up empty.

Additionally, keep in mind that, if you’re a traveler who enjoys their vacation with a drink in hand at most times, you’ll be paying extra for those drinks in any port destination. That won’t be the case on the ship, where you already have a beverage package.

Read Also: When Is the Best Time to Buy a Royal Caribbean Drink Package?

So, if your port plans just include heading to the beach and sipping a fruity drink while you watch the waves, save yourself the trouble and money and simply stay on the ship and sip that fruity drink by the pool.

11.  Getting On and Off the Ship Can Just Be a Hassle

All of the above aside, though, getting on and off the ship, in and of itself, is just a hassle, particularly if you’re at a port that requires tendering. All that getting off the ship and getting on the tender and then getting off at port and then getting back and etc. — it takes time.

Plus, it’s not like you get off at the port and then have as much time as you want to sightsee and experience the destination. Cruise ships keep strict schedules, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on your watch to ensure that you make it back in time to leave with the ship.

If you don’t, you’ll have a whole other annoyance to deal with, trying to either meet up with the ship at the next port, or simply make it back home. All of this can really make trying to get off at port less than worth it, if all you’re trying to do is kick back and relax during your cruise.