This is the index to a series about doing cruise ports without a ship excursion, written by Jan Madeus, a ship’s videographer at sea since 2008. Each article covers one port I have actually called at: where the ship ties up, what can be reached on foot or by public transport, what the same day costs with and without the ship’s tour, and how much return buffer to keep before all-aboard. Prices and timetables are checked at the time of writing and dated in each article.
The ports covered so far
| Port | Country | Ashore | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkwall, Orkney | Scotland | Hatston Pier with shuttle, or tender into town | Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae without a tour |
| Saint Peter Port | Guernsey | Tender to Albert Pier, town centre | A half-day on Guernsey without a tour |
| Stockholm | Sweden | Stadsgården, 30-minute walk to Gamla Stan | Gamla Stan and the City Hall in one day |
| Stavanger | Norway | Alongside in the centre, fjord boats from Strandkaien | Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock by boat |
| Honningsvåg | Norway | Alongside in town, bus to the North Cape | The North Cape without a tour |
| Geiranger | Norway | Tender, or SeaWalk for one ship a day | Dalsnibba and the Eagle Bend without the ship’s tour |
| Dover (for Rye) | England | Cruise terminal, one hour by coach to Rye | Rye, the town the sea left behind |
What each guide answers
- Where the ship docks — pier, tender or shuttle, and how far that is from the first thing worth seeing
- What is reachable on your own — on foot, by public bus or train, with real journey times
- What it costs — the independent price against the ship’s excursion price, in a table
- How much buffer to keep — worked backwards from all-aboard, not forwards from breakfast
- Where the photographs are — light, tide and the spots that are worth the detour
Is it worth leaving the ship on your own?
Usually yes, and rarely for the reason people expect. The money matters — a ship’s archaeology tour on Orkney costs around £130 to £160 where the same stones cost a bus ticket — but the real difference is time. A coach gives a stone circle forty minutes. On your own you can give it two hours, or skip it entirely and stay in the harbour at low tide. What you give up is the guarantee: the ship waits for its own excursions, not for you. Every guide in this series says plainly where that risk is real and where it is not.
Which ports do not suit going alone?
Ports where the sight is far inland, where public transport is thin or seasonal, or where the call is only four or five hours. In those cases the guides say so rather than pretending otherwise. Kirkwall outside the summer bus season is one example: without a pre-booked taxi, the Neolithic sites are not a safe independent plan.
More ports are coming
The series grows with each voyage. Akureyri, Honfleur, Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira and Narsaq in Greenland are next in line. If you want a particular port covered, write to info@madeus.org.
By region: Scotland · England · Norway · Iceland · Azores · Greenland