Victoria Canada

Victoria is an unusual port, because most ships are only visiting so it can be an 'international' cruise which allows for a different set of rules then if its purely domestic (to Alaska). As a result, many ships will only stay here for 4 hours - which is a shame because it's a spectacular port with lots to do. The downtown harbor is about a half mile walk from the ship, with other transportation options available.

• Walk the downtown - The picture shown above is the Legislative Assembly. The downtown also has museums and parks, all located near a scenic harbor.

• Try the food - Victoria has numerous food options. There's an English influence, so it's a great spot to visit a traditional UK style pub. Or you can try local seafood or find pretty much any kind of food.

• Shop right at the port- I'm usually not a big fan of this, but given the short stay many are tempted not to get off the ship at all. Don't stay on the ship. Victoria is very welcoming and you can find shopping, food, and drinks right at the port if you don't want to risk walking downtown.

• Visiting Canada - Being an international port, you will have to deal with Canadian currency. Some credit cards will not charge foreign transaction fees. For those that do, it's usually fairly reasonable (about 3%). Also, the Canadian dollar is weaker so typically you'll get an American $$ bonus making things a bit cheaper here. Check your cell phone plan to see if data and calls are extra here. (Tip: if you won't have data here, pre-download the map on Google so you can use maps without using data)

Top Your Own Excursion: Rent a bike and tour the downtown. Bike rentals are pretty easy to find, and can save some time. Plus the back roads aren't too busy.

Top Booked Excursion: If there's time, visiting the Butchart gardens looks amazing if that's your thing. I wouldn't book any excursions if it's only a 4 hour stay - just not worth the money given the limited time.

Transportation: The port is in the city and there's plenty walkable from there. You also won't have trouble finding a taxi or Uber here. Another option is bikes or scooters which are rentable around town. You may need to sign up for the app to use them.

Safety: A This port is basically a Canadian resort town and is pretty much as safe as ports come. Exercise usual caution, but you're unlikely to have any trouble here.

Port Rating: A This is one of my favorite ports to go to, so much so we actually visited and spent a couple nights here. There are tons of reasonably priced shopping and food options, and lots to do in this moderately sized city. It's a shame most ships do not stay here longer.