Sightseeing at Cruise Ports

Video compliments of the Travel Channel

Boredom doesn't stand a chance aboard a cruise, with spa services, rock-climbing walls, guest speakers, card tournaments, rounds of golf and first-rate cuisine all vying for your attention. But half the fun of setting sail is pulling into port and seeing the sights in different cities.

Before you hit port, do your research. Read up on the port area and create a list of its best historical landmarks, museums, nightlife hot spots, shops, restaurants and anything else that interests you. Your jaunt will depend a lot on the timing and duration of your port visit. Take those into account and prioritize your sightseeing list, so you can whittle down as needed.

Next, check out what the cruise has to offer; most cruises offer extensive sightseeing options at each port, including culinary tours of the largest fish market in Tokyo, a bus ride through Cairo's bustling, history-saturated center, a sweaty trek through the lush Venezuelan rainforests or camel rides through the Arabian desert. Most ships will dock in certain areas during major festivals, such as the hard-partying Carnival in Brazil and the festive, upbeat (despite the holiday's morbid name and its ubiquitous skeleton decorations) Day of the Dead in Mexico.

One big perk of picking a pre-planned trip is that someone has already taken care of all the details. Golf clubs for the Gleneagles course in Scotland? Check. A car in Rome to whisk you from the gelateria to the Pantheon? Done. Snorkeling equipment off the coast of Costa Rica? No problem. When visiting developing countries or places where English isn't spoken, traveling with a guide can also be a less stressful way to navigate languages and customs. And rather than managing your own time (especially in Europe, where the city of interest can be a few hours from the port), you can rely on the cruise's pre-packaged sightseeing trip to handle the messy minutiae while you relax and really enjoy the sites around you.

The downside is that cruise packages for sightseeing can quickly up the tab on your cruise, and if you're more interested in window shopping or idling on a beach, they can make your time on land feel more laborious than lovely. But don't feel that skipping the tour means you'll be forced to wander the streets by yourself, either. Most ports offer an abundance of independent tours and sightseeing excursions, and equipment (from bikes to scuba gear) can always be rented. If the swirl of options still overwhelms you, take your must-see list to your cruise director for some advice on sightseeing in port.