Methodology · Source transparency
Every number on PortTrip has a source. Here is exactly where the data comes from, how it is validated, and what the confidence levels mean.
Data sources
Cruiser-submitted validations
4,281 validated journeys
Independent cruisers submit journey outcomes: return times, transport modes used, actual costs, tender queue durations, and whether their route worked as planned. Each submission is time-stamped, port-tagged, and season-tagged. Low-quality or implausible submissions are automatically flagged for review.
Detail: Submissions require: port, all-aboard time used, return route taken, and outcome. Optional: cruise line, season, group type.
Direct pricing research
47 excursion categories, 8 ports
PortTrip researchers directly compare cruise line excursion booking pages against local alternatives: transport providers, attraction ticket offices, and local operators near cruise terminals. Pricing is captured at point-of-sale, not estimated.
Detail: Updated quarterly. Each data point records: ship excursion price, local equivalent price, category, date captured, comparison methodology.
Transport schedule research
50+ ports, public timetables
Public transport schedules (train, bus, metro, ferry) are independently verified from official operator websites and cross-referenced with cruiser reports. Schedules are checked for seasonality variation.
Detail: Sources: Trenitalia, SNCF, Athens Metro, Zagreb Bus, local ferry operators. Verified against cruiser timing data.
Tender delay observations
6 tender ports, 18 months
Tender queue duration data is collected from cruiser submissions, supplemented by cruise forum monitoring (CruiseCritic, Reddit r/cruises) for corroboration. Each tender delay datapoint is assigned a confidence level based on recency and number of corroborating reports.
Detail: Data includes: number of ships in port, season, time of day, weather conditions where available.
Validation process
Submission received
Cruiser submits route outcome with required fields: port, timing, route, result.
Plausibility check
Automated check: is the timing plausible given known transport durations? Does the reported buffer match known patterns?
Anomaly flagging
Submissions outside 2 standard deviations of known patterns are flagged for manual review before inclusion.
Season and cruise line tagging
Each valid submission is tagged with port, season, cruise line, and return route for analysis segmentation.
Aggregate update
Valid submissions update the running aggregate: average return buffer, most common delay causes, confidence score.
Displayed with confidence
All displayed data includes a confidence score (number of supporting data points, recency, variance).
What PortTrip does NOT do
Estimate pricing from third-party aggregators without verification
Include unvalidated forum posts in aggregate data without corroboration
Display data without confidence levels or timestamps
Accept sponsored or incentivised data submissions
Sell or monetise submission data to cruise lines or operators
How does PortTrip collect cruise port data?
PortTrip combines four sources: (1) direct pricing research comparing ship excursion pages against local alternatives, (2) cruiser-submitted journey validations, (3) public transport schedule verification from official operator websites, and (4) tender delay observations from cruiser submissions and forum corroboration. All data includes timestamps, confidence scores, and methodology references.
How many cruisers have validated PortTrip data?
4,281 independent cruiser journeys have been validated and incorporated into the PortTrip dataset as of 2026. Each validation includes route, timing, outcome, and season data.
How often is PortTrip data updated?
Pricing data is updated quarterly. Transport schedules are checked for each major season (peak/off-peak). Cruiser validations are incorporated continuously. Each data point displays its last-updated date and confidence level.
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