Find out exactly how much your cruise is costing you in unnecessary ship excursion fees — and what your port days would cost if you planned them independently.
Ship cost
€792DIY cost
€240Your savings
€5524 ports · 2 pax
70% cheaper DIY
Step 1 of 3
Count port stops only — not sea days
DIY Savings Index
DIY cost estimated at ~25–32% of the median ship excursion price for your excursion type. Based on PortTrip research across 55+ ports: real bus/train fares, verified entry prices, and typical lunch costs.
Group adjustment
Solo travellers pay a slightly higher per-person DIY cost (taxi splits don't work). Families and groups see the biggest gains — ship excursion prices scale linearly, DIY doesn't.
Risk scoring
The risk score combines your comfort level, number of ports, and region difficulty. Score ≥7 = we flag specific ports and recommend extra planning support.
Results are estimates based on PortTrip analysis. Actual savings vary by specific port, season, and personal spending habits. Figures are conservative — many cruisers save more. Full methodology →
How much can I save by skipping ship excursions?
PortTrip analysis shows cruisers save an average of €85 per port by planning independently. On a 5-port Mediterranean cruise for 2 people, that's €850 total savings. Rome is the biggest win (€95 saved) — a €5 train replaces a €100+ excursion. Barcelona and Athens are also strong DIY ports.
Is it safe to skip ship excursions?
Yes, for most major ports. PortTrip builds a 90-minute Ship-Safe Buffer into every plan — the system calculates your exact leave time so you never miss the ship. For tender ports (Santorini, Kotor), the buffer extends to 135 minutes. The calculator scores your specific risk level.
Which ports give the biggest savings?
Top 5 for savings: Rome/Civitavecchia (€95 saved — €5 train vs €100+ excursion), Athens/Piraeus (€80 saved), Barcelona (€70 saved), Naples (€75 saved), Lisbon (€65 saved). Santorini and Mykonos are the exception — low savings and high difficulty in peak season.
What does DIY actually cost per port?
A typical DIY port day costs €25–€35 per person: return public transport (€2–€15), main attraction entry (€10–€20), and lunch (€12–€18). Total: approximately 28% of the typical ship excursion price. The savings calculator breaks this down by excursion type and region.
Related tools & guides
We use cookies
Essential cookies are always on. We only enable analytics, marketing, personalisation, and session replay if you allow them. You can change this any time. Policy version 1.0.0. Privacy policy