Do cruise ports have '"layovers" like airports?

Asked by Catnip5 (345

) December 5th, 2017

This is a question that I’m generally curious about if someone were to travel by sea. I never actually travel by a cruise ship before. But I do wonder if the process functions rather similarly to airport, when it comes to long trips and layovers.

Say that if you generally booked a destination to Location C from Port A, and this trip to Location C would be a very long journey within 1–2 days. You depart from Port A on the first day, but first the ship must also dock at Port B in between to drop off passengers destine for that Location.

Would a “layover” be expected for a short time at Port B? If I were a passenger expected to get Location C, would I be able to hang outside of the ship for a while during a break (before arriving back inside the ship on time to visit my final destination on the trip)?

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4 Answers

Most cruises allow passengers to disembark at intermediate stops and do some sight seeing.

It is the passenger’s responsibility to get back to the ship in time before it sails.

zenvelo (39546

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Response moderated

Also, cruise ships do not usually allow passengers to permanently leave the ship at the intermediate ports.
If you are going from Port A to Port D with stops at Port B and Port C they usually stop for several hours at each port for sight seeing and excursions ashore as @zenvelo said and on longer cruises there may even be an overnight stop but they are not set up as a bus, train line or ferry. People do not and are not allowed to go from Port A to Port B only or from Port B to Port D. You get on at A and off at D period. At the intermediate stops they carefully note who leaves the ship at the intermediate port and who gets back on. Not that the occasional passenger is not left behind if they are not back on board before the ships departure; they keep to a very strict schedule.

rojo (24179

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