Ports
Ports: where the sea meets the land.
Home ports are where your cruise begins. Day ports offer a few hours to catch an excursion or a self-tour. Here I separate home ports, day ports, excursions, pre-cruise hotels and transfers so you can plan your starts and stops.
4home ports covered
7day ports covered
2hotel ports
3transfer guides
Logistics 11 Tips for Cunard QM2 Embarkation Day at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal Plan your starts and stops
Before you sail, and while you are ashore
Home ports
Where the cruise begins
Airports, hotels, terminals, shuttle timing, baggage, and the night before embarkation.
Day portsWhat to do ashore
Walking distance, tenders, realistic shore time, excursions, and whether to stay close.
Pre-cruise hotelsStay before you sail
Hotel picks that make embarkation morning easier, with the transfer reality included.
LogisticsAirport to ship
Taxi, train, rideshare, shuttle, walking, and what I would actually choose with luggage.
Home ports
Where major cruises start
These need deeper treatment than a normal port stop: airport routes, pre-cruise hotels, embarkation timing, and what to do if you arrive early.
Day ports
Stop-offs need a different clock
For these, the useful question is not where to stay. It is how far the ship docks from the town, how much time you really have, and what is worth the effort.
Pre-cruise hotels
Where to stay before you sail
Hotel advice belongs with ports because the right answer depends on the terminal, airport, transfer cost, and how much stress you want on embarkation morning.
Pre-cruise hotels
Best Hotels Near Vancouver Cruise Port: Where to Stay for Your Cruise
Planning a cruise from Vancouver and wondering where to stay the night before? I've found myself in exactly that dilemma for an Alaska cruise and a transpacific cruise!
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Pre-cruise hotels
Where to Stay Before Your Queen Mary 2 Cruise from Brooklyn
Brooklyn Cruise Terminal serves as the home port for Cunard's Queen Mary 2, though Princess and Norwegian Cruise Line occasionally use it as well.
Read
Logistics and transit
Airport, train, city, ship.
These are the unglamorous pages that save the most hassle: what it costs, how long it takes, where the pickup is, and when the cheap option stops being worth it.
Logistics
11 Tips for Cunard QM2 Embarkation Day at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (QM2) sails regularly between New York and Southampton, and while stepping aboard the Queen Mary 2 is magical, getting through Brooklyn Cruise Terminal has a few quirks worth knowing.
LogisticsHow to Get from Vancouver Airport (YVR) to the Cruise Port (2026)
When I first started researching cruise departures from Vancouver, I was surprised by how many transport options there are from the airport to Canada Place.
LogisticsHow to Get To and From the Port of Miami for Cruisers
PortMiami is located on Dodge Island, a man-made island connected to downtown Miami via the PortMiami Tunnel. Here's everything you need to know about getting to and from the world's busiest cruise port.
LogisticsBrightline: The Easiest Train Connection from the Port of Miami
Brightline is a privately operated high-speed rail service connecting Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Here's why cruise passengers should consider it.
Logistics10 Top Tips for Boarding Royal Caribbean at Vancouver Port
Essential tips for boarding Royal Caribbean at Canada Place, Vancouver Port - covering check-in, security, Global Entry, and embarkation.
Latest port posts
Recent port planning
Recent port guides, hotel picks, and transfer notes, with the newest planning help first.
Logistics
11 Tips for Cunard QM2 Embarkation Day at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 (QM2) sails regularly between New York and Southampton, and while stepping aboard the Queen Mary 2 is magical, getting through Brooklyn Cruise Terminal has a few quirks worth knowing.
Read
Pre-cruise hotels
Best Hotels Near Vancouver Cruise Port: Where to Stay for Your Cruise
Planning a cruise from Vancouver and wondering where to stay the night before? I've found myself in exactly that dilemma for an Alaska cruise and a transpacific cruise!
Read
Home port guide
Athens Cruise Port Guide (Piraeus): Everything You Need to Know
When I disembarked at Piraeus Cruise Port on a sweltering Greek morning, everyone was milling around trying to find their tour bus. Here's what I wish someone had told me before my first Athens cruise port experience.
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Home port guide
Complete Guide to Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port 2026 (Port Everglades)
I first arrived in Fort Lauderdale in the late 1990s and stepped off the plane into that distinctive South Florida heat. My guide should give you everything you need if you're using Fort Lauderdale as your cruise gateway.
Read
Logistics
How to Get from Vancouver Airport (YVR) to the Cruise Port (2026)
When I first started researching cruise departures from Vancouver, I was surprised by how many transport options there are from the airport to Canada Place.
Read
Logistics
How to Get To and From the Port of Miami for Cruisers
PortMiami is located on Dodge Island, a man-made island connected to downtown Miami via the PortMiami Tunnel. Here's everything you need to know about getting to and from the world's busiest cruise port.
Read
The Sunday port report
One email a week. The week's reviews, one port I have just walked, and a Patrick's-tip note from somewhere on board.
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