Whereas most cruise ports are positioned precisely the place they are saying they’re, there are some which might be over 120 miles away from the place they’re marketed.
While you’re researching cruises, you’ll typically see ports listed as one metropolis, however then have one other listed in parenthesis. A typical instance could be: La Havre (Paris).
Those in parenthesis are normally 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 following metropolis over. As an example, when visiting Piraeus, you might be proper subsequent to Athens.
On a current cruise out of the port, I stood on the pool deck and appeared out and will see the Acropolis within the distance. It’s comprehensible why cruise traces would label it as Piraeus (Athens) because it’s proper there.
Nevertheless, some cities listed might be so far as a couple of hours away. Here’s a have a look at a few of these ports so you’ll be able to correctly plan forward when you’re visiting one in every of them on an upcoming cruise.
These are all ports that I’ve visited (at the least twice every) and have skilled first hand.
La Havre (Paris)
That is by far probably the most deceiving. La Havre is nearly all the time marketed as Paris by all cruise traces 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 completely 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 means.
Sure, shore excursions to Paris are provided however put together your self to spend shut to 6 hours in a bus simply going there and again.
If that is your solely likelihood in life to go to Paris then I’d 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 places 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 completely different ports that your ship could dock at when visiting Amsterdam. There’s the commonest one proper within the coronary heart of town and one other on the North Sea (IJmuiden).
A few yr in the past, I visited with port officers at IJmuiden they usually informed me since cruise traces promote it as Amsterdam, many visitors assume that’s the place the ship will dock at.
They mentioned that visitors typically ask if they’ll stroll to the Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank Home, not realizing that they’re really 40 minutes to an hour bus experience away (relying on site visitors).
There’s a proposal to ban all cruise ships from coming 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 good possibility. I’ve taken it each methods and I favor it in comparison with taking a cab or utilizing a personal automotive service. It’s also 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 really 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 means by the day. Our tour information informed them that for the reason that port was so distant from KL, a cab wouldn’t solely cost them for the experience to Port Klang, but in addition 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 mentioned, 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 planet.
I simply don’t need you to reach in IJmuiden and ask which path 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 an amazing go to to all of those places.
