🚢 🌍 EXPLORING PORTS...DO WHAT THE LOCALS DO!

Forget the coach tour. Let's see the REAL destination. 😎

“Right…

You've got eight hours in port.

You've got off the ship.

And you've got two choices.

Option one:

Follow 47 other people holding a little flag…

onto a coach…

to see the exact same three landmarks…

with 400 other cruise passengers.

😂

OR…

DO WHAT THE LOCALS DO.

Find the little café.

Eat what they eat.

Go where they go.

Take the transport they take.

Find the beach.

Find the market.

Have the coffee.

And actually experience the place.

Because here's the thing…

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE EVERYTHING.

Sometimes the best cruise port experience is simply:

LIVING LIKE A LOCAL FOR A FEW HOURS. ❤️

Let's get off this ship!!

💰 1️⃣ THIS IS WHERE THE CRUISE LINES WILL PROBABLY HATE ME…

“Okay…

I'm about to say something that might upset the cruise lines.

😂

DON'T RUSH TO BUY A SHORE EXCURSION!!.

Now, I'm not saying:

NEVER BOOK ONE.

Some cruise excursions are fantastic.

They're convenient.

They're organised.

Transport is sorted.

A guide is there.

And importantly, cruise-line excursions can provide additional reassurance about getting back to the ship if the tour runs late.

But…

DON'T ASSUME THE CRUISE LINE IS THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THE PORT.

Sometimes…

you can save A LOT OF MONEY by simply finding out:

WHAT DO THE LOCALS DO?

Instead of immediately pressing:

BOOK EXCURSION — £149pp 💷

stop.

Open Google.

Open Maps.

Look at local transport.

Look at the port.

Look at walking routes.

Look at local restaurants.

Look at local beaches.

Look at markets.

And ask:

‘Could I do this myself?’ 🤔

Because sometimes the answer is:

YES. 😎

And you might save yourself:

💷 £50

💷 £100

💷 £200+

depending on what the excursion is.

And that's money that can go towards:

🍹 Drinks

🍽️ Dinner

🏝️ Another excursion

🚢 Or…

YOUR NEXT CRUISE. 😂

🏆 2️⃣ THE CC RULE — COMPARE BEFORE YOU BOOK

“So here's my rule:

EXCURSION FIRST? NO.

RESEARCH FIRST? YES.

Before booking, compare:

🚢 Cruise-line excursion

🚕 Private tour

🚌 Local transport

🚶 Walking

👥 Small-group tour

🍽️ Doing it yourself

And ask:

What am I actually paying for?

Transport?

Guide?

Entry tickets?

Lunch?

Convenience?

Or…

AM I JUST PAYING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DRIVE ME THERE? 😂

Sometimes the answer is absolutely:

‘Yes, and that's worth it.’

Brilliant.

Book it.

But sometimes…

‘I can walk there in 10 minutes.’

And that's where things get VERY interesting.”

🇭🇷 3️⃣ LET'S TAKE SPLIT AS AN EXAMPLE

“Let's use Split, Croatia.

Because Split is almost the perfect example of why you shouldn't automatically book an expensive excursion. 🇭🇷❤️

Depending on where your ship actually berths, the old town and Diocletian's Palace can be remarkably close to the cruise port.

From central berths at Split's city port, the Old Town is roughly a 5–10 minute walk along the Riva promenade. Exact walking time depends on the berth your ship uses. (Split Open Bus Tours)

So imagine this.

You've just got off your ship.

You're told:

‘Split Highlights Tour — £XX per person.’ 💷

And you're thinking:

‘Do I actually need a coach?’

Probably not…

if your ship is using the central city port.

Because you can literally walk along the waterfront…

and you're in the Old Town. 🚶‍♀️

That's the Riva.

Palm trees.

Sea views.

Cafés.

And then:

BOOM.

You're at Diocletian's Palace.

And that's exactly the type of port we want, because instead of spending half your day travelling to an attraction…

YOU'RE ALREADY THERE. 😂

🏛️ 4️⃣ SPLIT — DO WHAT THE LOCALS DO

“Now you've arrived.

So what do you do?

Well…

don't immediately find the first souvenir shop and buy a fridge magnet. 😂

Walk.

Explore.

Get lost in the little streets.

Have a Croatian coffee.

Find a bakery.

Look at what people are actually eating.

Walk along the Riva.

Explore Diocletian's Palace.

Find a little restaurant away from the most obvious tourist strip.

And then…

SIT DOWN.

Because that's what we're trying to achieve.

Not:

‘I visited Split.’

But:

‘I actually experienced Split.’

And that's a very different thing.”

☕ 5️⃣ FIND A LOCAL CAFÉ

“This is one of my favourite rules for any port.

FIND WHERE LOCALS HAVE COFFEE. ☕

Not:

‘The most Instagrammable café.’

Not:

‘The top-rated café for cruise passengers.’

Find somewhere that looks like:

👨‍💼 Locals are having breakfast

👵 Someone is reading a newspaper

💻 Someone is working

👨‍👩‍👧 People are meeting friends

And sit there.

Have a coffee.

Watch the world go by.

You might spend:

€3–€5.

And suddenly you've created a memory you couldn't buy on a coach tour.”

🍽️ 6️⃣ FIND THE LOCAL FOOD

“Same rule applies to food.

Don't automatically eat:

THE RESTAURANT DIRECTLY OUTSIDE THE CRUISE TERMINAL. 😂

Look for:

🍝 Family restaurants

🥖 Bakeries

🐟 Local seafood

🥩 Traditional dishes

🍷 Neighbourhood restaurants

And ask:

‘Where do locals actually eat?’

Because the restaurant with 27 identical cruise passengers sitting outside…

probably isn't where I'd start.”

🥖 7️⃣ GO TO A MARKET

“Markets are another absolute GOLDMINE.

And Split gives you opportunities to see ordinary local life alongside the tourist attractions.

Look for:

🍊 Fruit

🥖 Bread

🧀 Cheese

🐟 Fish

🌸 Flowers

🥩 Local produce

And this is where you get something a guided bus tour can't really give you:

A GLIMPSE OF EVERYDAY LIFE. ❤️”

🚶 8️⃣ WALK BEFORE YOU PAY FOR TRANSPORT

“Here's another big one.

Before booking:

🚕 Taxi

🚌 Shuttle

🚐 Coach

ask:

‘Can I walk there?’

Now obviously…

I'm not suggesting you walk 20 miles in 35-degree heat. 😂

But if something is:

10 minutes away…

you don't need a £30 taxi.

20 minutes away…

maybe you don't need a £50 excursion.

And sometimes…

THE WALK IS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE.

You see things you wouldn't see from a coach window.”

🚌 9️⃣ BUT DON'T BE AFRAID OF LOCAL TRANSPORT

“Now…

sometimes walking isn't practical.

That's when you look at:

🚇 Metro

🚌 Bus

🚋 Tram

🚆 Train

⛴️ Ferry

And don't be scared.

Yes…

for about five minutes you'll stand there looking at a ticket machine thinking:

‘WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS MEAN?’ 😂

But that's how locals get around.

And once you've worked it out…

YOU'VE GOT A NEW SKILL. 😎”

🤑 🔟 THE MONEY TEST

“Here's what I really want Cruise & Confused to do with every port.

PUT THE PRICE NEXT TO IT.

Let's say the cruise excursion costs:

£129pp.

Two people:

£258.

Now compare:

🚶 Walking — £0

☕ Coffee — £4

🍽️ Lunch — £20

🚌 Local transport — £5

🍦 Ice cream — £4

Total:

£33-ish per person. 💰

Now…

obviously that isn't a like-for-like comparison.

The organised excursion may include transport, guide, entrance fees and more.

But it illustrates the point:

DON'T ASSUME THE MOST EXPENSIVE OPTION IS THE BEST OPTION.”

⚠️ 1️⃣1️⃣ WHEN I WOULD ABSOLUTELY BOOK THE CRUISE EXCURSION

“Now I'm not anti-excursion.

Far from it.

There are times when I'd absolutely book the cruise-line tour.

For example:

🏛️ A major attraction far from the port

🌋 A complicated destination

🚐 Multiple locations in one day

🗺️ Places where transport is difficult

👨‍👩‍👧 Travelling with young children

♿ Accessibility needs

⏱️ A very tight port call

Or somewhere where getting back to the ship could be difficult.

That's where paying for the convenience can be completely worth it.

YOU'RE NOT JUST PAYING FOR THE TOUR.

You're paying for:

CONVENIENCE + ORGANISATION + TIME + PEACE OF MIND.

And sometimes…

THAT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY. ❤️”

🧠 1️⃣2️⃣ THE LOCAL TEST

“So before I book any excursion, I'm asking:

QUESTION 1️⃣

Where does the ship actually dock?

QUESTION 2️⃣

How far is the thing I want to see?

QUESTION 3️⃣

Could I walk there?

QUESTION 4️⃣

Could I use local transport?

QUESTION 5️⃣

What would a local actually do?

QUESTION 6️⃣

What would it cost me independently?

QUESTION 7️⃣

What happens if something goes wrong?

QUESTION 8️⃣

How much time do I really have?

And then…

I MAKE THE DECISION.”

📱 1️⃣3️⃣ GOOGLE MAPS OR GHAT GPT IS YOUR FRIEND

“Before you leave the ship…

open Google Maps.

Look at:

📍 Cruise port

📍 Old Town

📍 Restaurants

📍 Markets

📍 Beaches

📍 Transport

📍 Walking routes

And here's the clever bit:

LOOK AT THE WALKING TIME.

Because suddenly:

‘Cruise excursion — £250’

becomes:

‘Wait…

that's a 12-minute walk.’ 😂

And that's the moment where:

CRUISE & CONFUSED HAS SAVED YOU MONEY. 💰”

🏝️ 1️⃣4️⃣ FIND THE LOCAL BEACH

“Another favourite.

If you're visiting a coastal destination…

ASK WHERE LOCALS GO TO THE BEACH.

Not:

‘Which beach does the cruise excursion use?’

Ask:

‘Where do people who LIVE here go?’

You might discover somewhere:

🏖️ Quieter

🌊 Cleaner

🍹 More local

💰 Less expensive

And sometimes…

WAY MORE FUN.”

🍷 1️⃣5️⃣ FIND THE LOCAL BAR

“Same with drinks.

Instead of going to:

‘Cruise Passenger Bar No. 14’ 😂

look for somewhere where:

👨‍👩‍👧 Locals are sitting

🍷 People actually know each other

📺 Football is on

🍽️ Food is being served

And order something local.

You don't need:

£18 cocktails.

Sometimes:

€6 + good company = perfect. ❤️”

🛍️ 1️⃣6️⃣ SHOP WHERE LOCALS SHOP

“Want souvenirs?

Don't automatically buy everything at:

THE PORT SHOP.

Look for:

🛍️ Local independent shops

🏪 Markets

🥖 Food stores

🎨 Local crafts

And ask:

‘Is this actually made here?’

Because:

‘Made locally’

and

‘Tourist souvenir imported from somewhere else’

are two very different things.”

⚠️ 1️⃣7️⃣ BUT HERE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE

“Doing what the locals do does NOT mean:

‘Go anywhere and hope for the best.’ 😂

You still need to think about:

🛡️ Personal safety

🗺️ Where you're going

🕐 Opening times

🚕 Transport

💳 Payment

📱 Mobile coverage

🚢 All-aboard time

And if you're travelling independently…

BUILD IN A BUFFER.

If the ship leaves at 6pm…

I don't want you arriving at the port at 5:55.

I WANT YOU BACK EARLY.”

🚢 1️⃣8️⃣ THE PORT DAY RULE

“So here's my formula:

ONE BIG THING.

Pick your main attraction.

Then:

ONE LOCAL EXPERIENCE.

Maybe:

☕ Coffee

🍽️ Local lunch

🛍️ Market

🏖️ Beach

🍷 Local bar

🚶 Neighbourhood walk

That's enough.

You don't need to conquer the entire city before dinner.

Because:

YOU'RE ON HOLIDAY. ❤️”

🏆 1️⃣9️⃣ THE CRUISE & CONFUSED PORT FORMULA

“For every destination we cover, we're going to give you:

🚢 WHERE DOES THE SHIP DOCK?

🚶 HOW FAR IS THE OLD TOWN?

🚌 HOW DO LOCALS GET AROUND?

🍽️ WHERE DO LOCALS EAT?

☕ WHERE DO LOCALS HAVE COFFEE?

🛍️ WHERE DO LOCALS SHOP?

🏖️ WHERE DO LOCALS GO TO THE BEACH?

💰 WHAT DOES IT COST?

🚨 WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH OUT FOR?

⏰ AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…WHEN DO WE NEED TO BE BACK ON THE SHIP?”

“So next time your ship pulls into port…

don't automatically reach for the excursions menu.

Stop.

Look around.

Ask:

WHAT WOULD A LOCAL DO?

Maybe the answer is:

🚶 Walk.

☕ Coffee.

🍽️ Lunch.

🛍️ Market.

🏖️ Beach.

🍷 Local bar.

Or maybe…

the cruise excursion really IS the best option.

And that's absolutely fine.

The point isn't:

‘Never book an excursion.’

It's:

‘DON'T BOOK ONE WITHOUT CHECKING YOUR OPTIONS.’ 💡

Because sometimes you're paying £129…

for something that's genuinely worth £129.

And sometimes…

you're paying £129…

for something you could have done yourself for £30.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. 💰😂

DO WHAT THE LOCALS DO. 🌍❤️

And if you save £100 by doing it yourself…

well…

YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

ANOTHER CRUISE! 😂🚢❤️

🚢❤️ ”See you on board!”