Port Day Cruise Planning Worksheet
Start at all-aboard and work backwards. This worksheet shows how much of a port day is really yours.
Have an Advisor Fill It InThe Worksheet
A port day looks long on paper, say nine hours alongside. This cruise planning worksheet shows what is left after getting off, getting there, getting back and leaving a safety margin. Fill one in for each port, using ship time from your daily programme.
| Line | Item | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ship arrives / gangway opens (ship time) | |
| B | Time to get ashore (pier walk, or tender queue and ride) | |
| C | Travel from the port to your first stop | |
| D | All-aboard time (ship time) | |
| E | Your safety buffer before all-aboard | |
| F | Travel back from your last stop to the pier or tender | |
| G | Latest time to leave your last stop = D minus E minus F | |
| H | Time actually free ashore = G minus (A plus B plus C) |
Using the Answer
Line H is the number that matters. If a tour or activity runs longer than H, it does not fit, however good it sounds. Ship-sold tours are timed by the line to return before departure; with tours booked independently, H is your responsibility, so be generous with line E.
Five Port Day Rules of Thumb
- Tender ports eat time at both ends; add extra to lines B and F.
- First tenders of the morning are usually busiest.
- Keep the ship’s port agent contact and the daily programme with you.
- Carry the ship card and photo ID you need to re-board.
- Plan the last port before disembarkation more lightly.
Choosing What to Do
Once you know your free hours, pick activities to fit. Our sister site Port Activities sorts port activities by type and fitness level, and Shore Activities plus the regional port sites list bookable tours. Copy your plan into the itinerary template when you are done.
A Worked Example
Here is one illustrative day, with times invented for the example. The ship is alongside from 8:00 to 17:00 and all-aboard is 16:30. Getting ashore takes 20 minutes and the tour starts 30 minutes from the pier. With a one-hour buffer and 30 minutes to get back, you need to leave your last stop by 14:30. Subtract 8:50 for getting there, and you have about five and a half hours free. A seven-hour tour, however tempting, does not fit that day unless it is sold by the ship and timed to its schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why plan to be back so early?
Traffic, tender queues, long lines at the pier and slow restaurants all happen. A buffer turns a near miss into a calm walk back to the ship.
Is ship time always the same as local time?
No. Ships sometimes keep a different clock from the port. The daily programme says which time is in use, and your worksheet should use ship time throughout.
Repeat the worksheet for each port on your cruise; it takes a few minutes per day and shows quickly which ports suit long tours and which call for something short.
Get Help Planning Port Days
Ask a Mister Cruise advisor which tours fit the time you have in each port.
Plan My Port Days