Why Cruise Ships Are Starting to Skip Overcrowded Ports

As stories about overcrowded ports and congested downtowns have made headlines—and complicated the vacations of many travelers—cruise lines have begun taking a fresh look at alternative destinations.

It’s a positive shift for passengers, who will now get better access to “off the beaten path” ports and more interesting itineraries—even while sailing on big ships.

“Diversifying ports is a hot topic in the cruise industry,” said Rob Clabbers, founder and president of Q Cruise + Travel, and a member of Travel + Leisure’s Travel Advisory Board. “This trend initially began with smaller, more luxurious ships but has now extended to larger vessels as well. It applies in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also in other locations around the world.”

Consider one prime example: instead of dealing with crowds in Santorini, Greece, passengers might now spend their days on quieter islands such as Milos or Patmos. Ships are beginning to call in the seaside resort town of Marmaris, Turkey, which is known for its gorgeous beaches and abundant nightlife. Many vessels are now going to Kotor, Montenegro, with its UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town, instead of bustling Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Why the Change Is Happening Now

Experts like Clabbers say the push is being prompted by a confluence of three factors: overcrowding, port congestion, and port fees.

Overcrowding is perhaps the biggest. These days, mega-ship cruises can carry thousands of passengers each, a big departure from decades ago, when even the largest of vessels were considerably smaller. Today, two ships docking simultaneously at an island like Mykonos might arrive with a total of 8,000 passengers, all of whom want to see the same narrow lanes and lovely cafes.

“Traditional ports like Santorini can become quite crowded, with multiple ships visiting, so spreading the influx of ships across a larger number of ports improves the experience for both cruise guests and island resort visitors,” Clabbers explained in an interview with T+L. “I just returned from a cruise on a yacht-style vessel with only about 100 guests. We visited small ports like Nauplia and Gytheio—ports that could not be visited by large ships.”

Another factor is port fees, which are paid by cruise lines on behalf of passengers. In July 2025, for example, Greek authorities implemented a new “sustainable tourism fee” of up to €20 (about $23) for each port of disembarkation during the high season. Taken together, these fees can start to add up—and those costs are incentivizing cruise lines to consider alternatives to Greek ports, in nearby locales including Cyprus, Malta, and Turkey.

Then there’s “port congestion,” an industry term that essentially means there’s no more available docking space. The best locations, whether alongside at a proper pier or even at an anchorage, can be assigned years in advance, leaving some ships with less-than-ideal parking spots. Cruise lines are now asking if it’s “worth it” to take those spaces when alternatives might provide a better passenger experience.

These factors are all adding up to more choice—and fewer “cookie cutter” itineraries—for guests, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean.

How to Book These Innovative Trips

So how do you book these new insider voyages that have fewer “marquee” ports and more new-to-cruise places?

Unfortunately, there’s no turnkey solution, and you’ll need to scan individual cruise line websites to find itineraries that skip big-name ports in favor of less-trafficked alternatives.

Looking for specialists in the region can help. Consider MSC Cruises, which is based in Europe, and is now sending its MSC Divina to Marmaris, Turkey in addition to Kusadasi, on sailings from Civitavecchia, Italy. The smaller MSC Lirica will, for its part, go to the lesser-visited Greek island of Syros.

Celestyal Cruises is headquartered in Greece, and it offers some splendid 14-night voyages onboard Celestyal Journey that include port calls in Agios Nikolaos, Corfu, Katakolon, Kefalonia, and Milos, in addition to other big-name ports like Mykonos, Rhodes, and Santorini.

More familiar names are also embracing the alternative port trend. Holland America Line, for example, will send its Oosterdam to Souda, Greece, on several itineraries this summer, along with Sarande, Albania, on select voyages.

Celebrity Cruises is also diversifying its Eastern Mediterranean offerings, calling on Nauplia, Greece, on its 11-night “Best of Greece” itineraries aboard Celebrity Infinity. Other new ports for the line will include Hydra, Kavala, and Souda, Greece, on select Infinity trips.