Ibiza

Eivissa Taxi runs an official rank directly outside the cruise terminal arrivals area. All taxis are metered (no negotiation) and accept cards; a flat island tariff structure with surcharges for airport/port pickups is posted at the rank. Typical fares from the cruise terminal: Cala Salada €30–35 (25 min), Cala d'Hort €40–50 (35 min), Sant Antoni €25–30 (25 min), Playa d'en Bossa €12–15 (10 min). Uber and Bolt do not operate in Ibiza — only the licensed white taxis with a green light. Pre-book online via radiotaxi-eivissa.com for return trips from remote beaches; +34 971 398 483 is the dispatch line. Tipping is not expected; round up if you want.

Spain is solidly card-based and Ibiza is no exception — contactless and chip-and-PIN are universal at restaurants, taxis, beach clubs, the cruise terminal kiosks, and even market stalls. Decline DCC (dynamic currency conversion) when the terminal asks if you'd like to pay in dollars — it adds 3–5%. ATMs at the cruise terminal and along the harbour dispense euros (use bank-branded machines — La Caixa, Santander — and avoid Euronet/Cardtronics which charge €5–7 plus inflated FX). VAT (IVA) is included in every posted price. Tipping is not customary; rounding up at restaurants or leaving €1–2 per person on a sit-down meal is generous. Carry €20 for the beach-bar chiringuito that still occasionally runs cash-only.

Formentera is the white-sand neighbouring island 30 minutes by fast ferry from Port d'Eivissa (€45–60 round trip on Trasmapi or Baleària). It's spectacular but tight on a standard 8am–5pm call: you lose 60 minutes on ferries, 20 minutes either side at the dock, and need wheels (scooter rental €25–35/day at La Savina) to reach Ses Illetes. The cruise line is not responsible if you miss the return ferry. Better day-trip pivots that stay on Ibiza: Sant Antoni for the harbour and Cala Salada (taxi 25 min, full day from pier), or Santa Eulària for a quieter seafront town (taxi 20 min). The clubs (Pacha, Amnèsia, Ushuaïa) are night-only and irrelevant on a day call.

Ships dock at the dedicated cruise terminal on the south side of Port d'Eivissa, with two berths handling vessels up to about 300 metres. Larger ships occasionally use the outer Botafoc dock, in which case a 5-minute shuttle bus connects to the main port. The walk into town along the seafront promenade is flat, well-lit, and takes 10–12 minutes — past the marina to the foot of Dalt Vila at Portal de ses Taules. A free shuttle bus operated by the port authority runs between the cruise terminal and the harbour roundabout when two or more ships are in port; otherwise most people walk. Last all-aboard is normally 30 minutes before scheduled sail.

Ibiza is a legitimate dive destination — Posidonia seagrass meadows (UNESCO-listed alongside Dalt Vila), drop-offs, and a handful of small wrecks. The catch on a port-call day is the timetable: most operators run morning boats at 9am returning 1pm, which works if you're in by 8am with all-aboard at 5pm. Vellmari (Es Cubells) and Subfari (Sant Antoni) are the established operators; single-tank guided boat dive €60–80, two-tank €100–130. Shore dives at Atlantis (Sa Pedrera) require a 30-minute hike down a cliff path — beautiful but not recommended for a day call. Bring your own certification card; no rental of intro courses inside a port-call window.

The internationally famous beach clubs — Ushuaïa, O Beach, Beachouse — only really come alive from late afternoon onward, and a day call leaves before the daytime party shifts. If you specifically want a sunbed-with-cocktail day, Beachouse at Playa d'en Bossa opens at 11am and is a 10-minute taxi from the pier (€60–80 for a sunbed pair). Otherwise the better daytime option is a chiringuito at Cala Salada or Cala d'Hort — €15–20 lunch, sunbed rental €15–20, and the actual beach is prettier. Talamanca, the walkable beach 25 minutes from the pier, has a row of relaxed beach restaurants (Sa Punta, Ses Boques) that work well for an unhurried lunch.