FEATURE Extended calls As cruise guests seek more immersive and cultural experiences during their trips, more cruise lines are considering late or overnight port calls. Amber Hickman looks at how ports around the world are accommodating turnaround and extended visits Destination immersion has become a common desire for cruise guests, but this can be hard to accomplish during short cruises and port calls that only last for a few hours. Therefore, more cruise lines are looking to extend the amount of time they spend in each destination to provide guests with a complete and immersive experience. One example is luxury small-ship operator Seabourn. According to Crystal Morgan, senior director of deployment and itinerary planning at Seabourn, late or overnight calls at ports help guests to engage with other cultures and give them the flexibility to explore cities for longer periods. “We prioritise ports where the pier or tender is close to the main destination, city or sites, enabling guests to come and go with ease throughout the day and evening,” says Morgan. “We also seek ports where the shoreside experience can be enhanced with organised shore excursions, including longer full-day tours or unique evening events.” Some of the destinations that Seabourn includes on its itineraries to provide this guest experience include Quebec City in Quebec, Canada; Juneau, Alaska; Dubrovnik, Croatia; St. Tropez, France; and the Greek island of Santorini. In addition, Seabourn has organised successful overnight calls at ports such as Sydney, Australia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Bora Bora, French Polynesia; Malta; and Hong Kong. “For overnight calls, we focus on destinations that offer enough unique experiences for guests to enjoy over multiple days, typically larger destinations or cities,” says Morgan. “Additionally, on specific voyages like our Grand or World voyages, we include overnight calls to destinations like Cape Town in South Africa to incorporate special evening events.” There are various other ports around the world that offer similarly immersive experiences for cruise ships wanting to offer guests extended stays. In the following pages, we showcase some of these ports and highlight how their services, location and partnerships with local businesses and tour providers help them to deliver efficient and enjoyable experiences for guests. 152 “ We focus on destinations that offer enough unique experiences for guests to enjoy over multiple days” Photo: Seabourn Seabourn Odyssey visiting Sydney, Australia
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