Do cruise ports have '"layovers" like airports?

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)?