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Phuket: when your ship stops here

Thailand's island: the old town of the tin miners, the Big Buddha on its hill, Wat Chalong; and why the far beaches do not fit a docked day.

Facts checked Nov 3, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Phuket is an island province of Thailand. Ships come in two ways, and which one depends on the season, by a cruise port guide's account: in the dry season (about November to April) they anchor off Patong and land guests by tender on Patong beach, the main tourist strip, a ride of about 1.5 km; in the rainy season (about May to October) they dock at the Phuket Deep Sea Port at Ao Makham, about a 20 minute drive from Phuket Town and about 45 minutes from Patong. Check your own sailing on board.

Sources: Wikipedia: Phuket Province; WhatsInPort (a cruise port guide site): Phuket

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. Phuket Old Town

    The old quarter of Phuket Town is known for its Sino-Portuguese shophouses on both sides of the street, built when Hokkien Chinese miners ran the island's tin from the 1700s. The main streets are Thalang, Phang Nga, Krabi, Dibuk and Yaowarat, and many of the old buildings are now shops, cafes, small hotels and museums.

    Tip: From the Deep Sea Port it is about a 20 minute drive; from the Patong landing it is a taxi ride across the island, so agree the fare with the driver before you get in.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Phuket Old Town; WhatsInPort (a cruise port guide site): Phuket

  2. 2. The Big Buddha

    A statue 45 m (148 feet) tall and 25 m wide, concrete under Burmese white marble, on top of Nakkerd Hill near Chalong, looking out over Chalong Bay. In 2008 Thailand's Supreme Patriarch named it the Buddhist Treasure of Phuket.

    Tip: It stands on a hill, so the view is the point: go when the sky is clear, and allow for the drive up and down.

    Source: Wikipedia: Phuket Big Buddha

  3. 3. Wat Chalong

    The temple of Chalong, officially Wat Chaiyathararam, honours two monks, Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, who led the people of Chalong against a rebellion of Chinese tin workers in 1876 and treated the wounded with herbal medicine. There is a pagoda, and a big market spills into the grounds.

    Tip: The temple and the Big Buddha are both in Chalong, so see them together in one taxi trip.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Wat Chalong; Wikipedia: Phuket Big Buddha

What to skip

  • The west coast beaches when the ship is docked

    Patong is about a 45 minute drive from the Deep Sea Port, and Karon beach is about 20 km (12 miles) from the town centre, so a docked day spent going to Patong, Karon or Kata is a day spent mostly in a taxi. If your ship tenders to Patong, you are already there.

    Sources: WhatsInPort (a cruise port guide site): Phuket; Wikipedia: Phuket Province

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Phuket

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Phuket, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 3, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

Find back-to-backs that stop in Phuket

Two or more Royal Caribbean cruises in a row, with a day in Phuket on the way.

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