There are many options to extend your cruise holiday for an extra few days (or longer!) by staying in a destination either before or after your cruise.

I definitely recommend staying in the embarkation port of your cruise holiday, or within the surrounding area, for a few days before your cruise departs. There are a few different reasons for this being my preferred option.

Firstly, and most importantly, already being in the embarkation port ensures you won’t miss your cruise ship due to flight delays or other similar unavoidable circumstances.

If you book your flight arrangements as a package with your cruise company then they have an obligation to get you to your cruise ship, one way or another whether that involves delaying the ship’s departure by an hour, or putting you on a different mode of transport to get you there the next day or something similar.

Airport Delays

However, if you book your flights independently (which is often considerably cheaper) then it is your sole responsibility to get yourself and the other members of your travel group to the cruise ship on time for its departure.

If you are unable to get yourself to the ship on time for whatever reason then they will absolutely not delay their sailing time for you. Cruise ships run to strict schedules as they have to pay for any time they spend dock in port and it can be costly for them to miss their departure time.

Spending a few days away from home exploring the embarkation port will also allow you to begin relaxing even before you set foot on board your floating home away from home.

Many people find it hard to start relaxing at the beginning of their holiday as they’re still so caught up with work and home life and it can take a few days to switch off from that. Spending a few days in your embarkation port prior to your departure means you’ll arrive on your cruise ship refreshed, relaxed and ready to fully enjoy your cruise experience.

If you look at your cruise itinerary and are excited by the end destination of your cruise then remember that you won’t actually get to spend a lot, if any, time there unless you extend your stay and spend some extra days in that place. I’ve previously spent extra time in Barcelona after the end of a cruise and it was the perfect way to spend a few more days at the end of the trip.

Hotel

The one piece of advice I would give you is to make sure you pick a great hotel in your chosen location because you’ll be so used to being waited on hand and foot after your wonderful cruise experience!

Thanks Emma