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Stopovers on cruises allow passengers to explore cities, private islands, and nature reserves. Research the stops beforehand, bring your passport, and be aware of time differences. Walking a few blocks inland can save money, and guided tours are available. Seasickness may affect disembarking, but stopovers can enrich the trip.
A stopover on a cruise is a planned docking at various points of interest that allows people taking cruises to get a closer look at cities or sometimes private islands or nature reserves. When taking a cruise, it’s a good idea to not only research the cruise, but also any stopping places so that you can plan time to visit the major attractions in those places. It’s also very important to have your passport with you if you want to get off the cruise ship. Note that passport laws have changed, and Mexico and Canada both now require American citizens to have a passport before entering their countries. Therefore, if you plan to disembark in a stopover, you may need your passport to do so, and cruise ships may also require you to bring your passport in case of an unplanned stopover or docking.
Stopovers can last from a few hours to several days and usually correspond to the duration of the cruise. Cruises of two weeks or more may have several stops or may dock for a couple of days in cities or places with some attractions to visit. Short cruises of less than a week may offer a single call and docking times may be limited to a few hours. When the cruise docks for several days, you can choose to stay on the ship, or occasionally travelers will go inland and stay at off-ship resorts or hotels.
In addition to scouting places for stopovers, the smart cruiser knows he’ll save money by walking several blocks inland before shopping or catching transportation. Taxis, restaurants and shops near the ship dock tend to be the most expensive. If you’re stopping at a city location, try walking about three or four blocks away from the ship for better prices.
A stopover on a cruise can offer you the opportunity to take guided tours of the sights. If you haven’t researched your trip beforehand, this could be a good way to see the main sights. It also ensures you get back to the ship before it leaves for its next location. It is very important to stay in tune with the length of time it takes to visit a place. Make sure your clock is set to match cruise ship time and not depend on clocks at stopover destinations, as time zones can differ. When you know the specific times available to visit the slipways, you may want to set your watch to sound an alarm an hour or two before you need to return to the ship.
If you’re having a tough time with seasickness and just sorted it out on the ship, stopovers could be to your detriment. It may take some time for your “land legs” to recover after several days on a ship, and you may then need to readjust to the ship’s motion once you return to the ship. If seasickness is a significant issue, you may wish to skip disembarking the ship at a slip and stay on the ship. There are many people who do not get off the ship at the docks and there are many activities on board for those who do not want to visit a city. On the other hand, cruise ships only give you the opportunity to see interesting sights on board the ship, and stopovers can greatly enrich a trip by giving you an up-close experience of a city, fantastic island, or natural place .
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