Cruise port question, help please, first good answer get 10 points!!?

Question

When you are booking a cruise, the ports of call are confusing. Does ports of call mean the places where you can board the ship? If not, expedia doesn't tell you where to board? Help is appreciated

Also what are the rules for going off the ship, say the ship stops in fort lauderdale, can you go off the ship and explore the town. Do they give you time to come back?

Answer 1

Here's the short answer.  You get on and off the ship at a port, usually the same one unless its a one way cruise, like a transatlantic or a repositioning cruise.  The place you start is the EMBARKATION port and the place where you get off is called the DEBARKATION port.  All of the post stops in between you will be able to get off of the ship.  

The amount of time that you have will vary but you will be given verbal AND written information on how long you have.  If you change time Zones they will tell you this also. You can book tours through the ship that will take you through the town or to a beach, or to some other attraction.  OR, you can go on your own.  

The main rule is be back when the ship is ready to sail or you will get left behind and must find your own way, and pay for it, to get to the next port stop.  The second rule is do not try to bring drugs back to the ship; and when you purchase liquor in port it must be surrendered at the security check point when you get back on ship and they will give them back to you at the end of the cruise.  Each time you get off ship they will scan your cruise card (you will be given this when you first check in) and also run your packages through the Xray machine (same as at the airport).

Answer 2

Embark is where you get on the ship.  Ports of call are the ship itinerary.

Answer 3

Ports of call are where the ship stops while you are on the cruise. You are given that information when you board as to how long you have at a certain port to explore on your own or sign up for shore excursions.  Mainly cruises go in and out of the same port (ie. Miami) unless the cruise states from one port to another. If expedia does not list where you are leaving from - go on the cruise lines web site directly

Answer 4

The ports are the different countries that you can stop and visit.  Once you get on the ship they will tell you the different "excursions" places to go see and what you do at each port and how much they charge per excursion.  You have options, and you pick what you like the best.  I suggest you book these as soon as possible because once they book up your other choices are limited. Be the first to get your choice.  They give you enough time at each port, just make sure you are back to the ship at the time they tell you.  The ship wont wait for you.   Sometimes if you contact the cruise line ahead of time they can send you the listing of the excursions.  They range in prices but are definitely worth the price.  You can put all costs on your credit card.  You definitely want to explore the different ports--that is the fun of cruising.  If you don't have the money for the excursions, get off at that port anyway.  You can always to to the beaches that are free and they always have touristy sites and shops that you can experience for free.  You can usually get great deals at the shops and have great photo opportunities at the ports.

Answer 5

The place you leave is your port of embarkation. Most people will cruise round-trip, meaning their port of embarkation is also their port of debarkation. Stateside cities, specifically coastal Floridian cities, are typically an embark/debark port, so there is only a set time to be on/off of the ship.

The rest of the ports listed on your itinerary are the places of call. These ports are the places you are traveling to. Most people get off of the ship to sight see or attend an on shore excursion, while others stay on the ship and relax while everyone else is off of the ship. Typically, most ports of call are called upon for 8 hours, with some ships staying more or less depending on the rest of the itinerary. To get off of the ship, most of the time you just need to keep your on board id card (issued by your cruise ship upon embarkation). I like to travel with my passport off-ship also, just in case I get left behind and have to plan an emergency flight to the next stop, or back to the U.S.

Note that when you are making travel arrangements, the ports of call can be changed by the cruiseline at their discretion. This will typically be done due to weather, circumstances on board (ie. the jumper last week on the Carnival Glory), or other port problems. Therefore, always choose your cruise for the ship you are sailing on, so you won't be too disappointed if your ports of call change.

Hope this helps!