While most cruise ports are located exactly where they say they are, there are some that are over 120 miles away from where they are advertised.
When you’re researching cruises, you will often see ports listed as one city, but then have another listed in parenthesis. A common example would be: La Havre (Paris).
The ones in parenthesis are usually a major city like Paris or Rome while the first is the actual port. How close are these major cities to the ports that you arrive at?
There are some that are just the next city over. For instance, when visiting Piraeus, you are right next to Athens.
On a recent cruise out of the port, I stood on the pool deck and looked out and could see the Acropolis in the distance. It’s understandable why cruise lines would label it as Piraeus (Athens) since it’s right there.
Celebrity Infinity in Piraeus, Greece. Photo: Cruise Fever
However, some cities listed can be as far as a few hours away. Here is a look at some of these ports so you can properly plan ahead if you’re visiting one of them on an upcoming cruise.
These are all ports that I have visited (at least twice each) and have experienced first hand.
La Havre (Paris)
This is by far the most deceiving. La Havre is almost always marketed as Paris by all cruise lines but how close or far is Paris away from the port? Spoiler alert, you’re not hopping in a cab and taking a ride into the city.
I have made the drive twice between the two on different visits. The port in La Havre is roughly 125 miles (200 km) away from the Eiffel Tower. Depending on traffic, it can be anywhere from 2.5 to 3 hours each way.
Yes, shore excursions to Paris are offered but prepare yourself to spend close to six hours in a bus just going there and back.
If this is your only chance in life to visit Paris then I would do it. Otherwise, I’d visit somewhere local.
Now river cruise ships will dock right in the heart of Paris on the Seine. Viking has secured premium docking locations for their ships that are just a 15-20 minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower.
Viking Radgrid docked near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photo: Cruise Fever
For ocean ships, Google Maps has it as a 45 hour walk from the port to the Eiffel Tower. So if you want to do a cruise to Paris, take a river cruise.
IJmuiden (Amsterdam)
There are two different ports that your ship may dock at when visiting Amsterdam. There’s the most common one right in the heart of the city and another on the North Sea (IJmuiden).
Viking Mars in Amsterdam, not to be confused with the port in IJmuiden. Photo: Cruise Fever
About a year ago, I visited with port officials at IJmuiden and they told me since cruise lines market it as Amsterdam, many guests think that’s where the ship will dock at.
They said that guests often ask if they can walk to the Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank House, not realizing that they are actually 40 minutes to an hour bus ride away (depending on traffic).
There is a proposal to ban all cruise ships from entering the city center by 2035. If this goes through, all ships will likely stop at IJmuiden.
Civitavecchia (Rome)
Viking Sea in Civitavecchia. Photo: Cruise Fever
One of the largest cruise ports in Europe, Civitavecchia is the cruise gateway to Rome.
From the cruise port to the Colosseum, it can be anywhere from an hour and 10 minutes to an hour and a half away. It all depends on traffic and they are 55 miles apart.
The nonstop train takes 47 minutes from the port to the heart of Rome (Termini) and is a great option. I have taken it both ways and I prefer it compared to taking a cab or using a private car service. It is also a ton cheaper.
Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur)
Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas in Port Klang. Photo: Cruise Fever
Two of my cruises out of Singapore had Kuala Lumpur (KL) listed as a port stop, but it was actually in Port Klang, about an hour away.
On our excursion to KL, a few passengers asked if they could do their own thing half way through the day. Our tour guide told them that since the port was so far away from KL, a cab would not only charge them for the ride to Port Klang, but also for the ride back. They option to remain with our tour.
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
This is one where Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line market it as cruises from Orlando (Port Canaveral) and Carnival labels it as Port Canaveral (Orlando).
Port Canaveral is 50 minutes to an hour away from Orlando and 45 miles away from the Orlando Airport (MCO).
Not every port does this however. I have never seen Southampton marketed as London, although that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
With all of that being said, I didn’t write this to discourage you from visiting these ports. Amsterdam and Rome are two of my favorite cities to visit in the world.
I just don’t want you to arrive in IJmuiden and ask which direction you can walk in to reach the Rijksmuseum. Or even worse, you arrive in La Havre and expect to take a short taxi ride into Paris. Plan ahead and have a great visit to all of these locations.
Source: Cruisefever.net
