15 Things We NO LONGER Do at Cruise Ports (What to Do Instead)
Bahamas CountryDisney Cruise Line Cruise LineRoyal Caribbean Cruise LineVirgin Voyages Cruise LineHolland America Group Cruise Company
Cruise port day mistakes can cost you time, money, and in the worst case, the ship. After 20+ years of cruising and hundreds of ports, these are the 15 things we don't do ashore anymore. 💲Save BIG with MEI-Travel cruise deals: https://bookmeicruise.com/?apid=escy 🌎Save Up to 40% On Shore Excursions: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1603014 📖 Ultimate Cruise Planning Guide: https://eatsleepcruise.com/cruise-planning-guide/ UP NEXT - 15 Things We Stopped Doing on Cruises: https://youtu.be/GtkBjn5GvJA Subscribe to the Eat Sleep Cruise YouTube Channel if you love to travel and cruise the world! https://www.youtube.com/@Eatsleepcruise1 Whether you're planning your first cruise or your 50th, this video covers the cruise tips we wish we'd known on our earliest sailings. We share what we do differently on port days now so you can avoid common cruise mistakes, skip the stress at the pier, and get more out of every stop on your itinerary, from the Caribbean and Bahamas to Alaska, Europe, and beyond. ⏰ SHIP TIME VS. LOCAL TIME Mixing up ship time and local time is one of the most common ways cruisers end up as pier runners. Your phone can switch time zones the moment it picks up a signal in port, but all-aboard time always follows the ship's clock. We share the simple phone setting we use for the entire sailing and why we plan to be back at the pier 30 to 60 minutes early. 🎒 WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR CRUISE DAY BAG Cruise card, ID, and passport requirements, plus sunscreen, water, medications, a portable charger, rain gear, and excursion-specific items like closed-toe shoes. We pack the night before so nothing gets left behind. 🗺️ SHORE EXCURSIONS: CRUISE LINE VS. INDEPENDENT TOURS Should you book through the cruise line or an independent tour operator? We explain when each makes sense, including tender ports, short port days, and tours far from the ship, and why we stopped booking a tour in every port. 📱 PHONES, DATA, AND MONEY IN PORT Offline maps, screenshots of your pier address and all-aboard time, international phone plans, local currency, cash for taxis and tips, and credit cards with no foreign transaction fees. 🛡️ CRUISE PORT SAFETY AND LOCAL RULES Common-sense safety in cruise ports, avoiding taxi and vendor scams, dress codes at religious sites, and customs rules on fruit, food, and alcohol coming on or off the ship. 🛳️ WHY A SHIP DAY CAN BE THE BEST PORT DAY Staying onboard while most passengers are ashore means quieter pool decks, shorter lines, and easier access to popular venues. We share when we skip a port on purpose. 💡 WHO THIS VIDEO IS FOR First-time cruisers, seasoned cruisers, and anyone sailing Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, MSC, Disney Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, or Holland America who wants smarter, less stressful port days. 0:00 Cruise Port Day Mistakes After 20+ Years 0:30 The Port Day Prep Most Cruisers Skip 1:25 How Cruisers End Up Missing the Ship 3:05 What We Do Before Leaving the Ship 5:45 Rethinking How Often We Go Ashore 8:20 Shore Excursion Mistakes We Stopped Making 10:15 Phones, Data, and Money in Port 11:40 Local Rules, Customs, and Port Safety 14:05 The Port Day Rut We Finally Broke ---TRENDING VIDEOS FROM EAT SLEEP CRUISE------ 6 Cruise Lines EVERYONE is Switching to in 2026: https://youtu.be/M-4eM2avmPU 40 Cruise Hacks We Swear by After 100 Cruises: https://youtu.be/ivvzrns5QOI 5 Cruise Lines Everyone Is Switching To in 2025: Best Cruises for Couples: https://youtu.be/fenNj5GmLdM Join us on Social Media as we “Sea the World, One Port at a Time.” Instagram: https://instagram.com/EatSleepCruise Facebook: https://facebook.com/EatSleepCruise Twitter: https://twitter.com/EatSleepCruise TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatsleepcruise Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/EatSleepCruise 📌 ABOUT EAT SLEEP CRUISE We're Don and Heidi from Eat Sleep Cruise. After more than 100 cruises across dozens of cruise lines, we share honest cruise ship reviews, cruise tips, and planning advice to help you book the right cruise. 📢 DISCLOSURE This video is not sponsored, and all opinions are our own. Some links in this description are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Eat Sleep Cruise!