In these cases, your ship will anchor at sea and you will be ferried to shore by tender. These small craft make frequent round trips, so you can get back aboard ship at various times. Just ask a crew member for the schedule. The inconvenience of tendering ashore may be offset by the other advantages of a large ship. They vary in many ways besides price.
Atmosphere is a critical distinguishing factor.
These issues can have a big impact on your overall enjoyment of the cruise. The multiplication of cruise vessels has led to the concomitant growth in cruise destinations. Of course there are many more, but we could all find one or more places we would like to go from that list, especially if we could travel in the comfort of a cruise ship with haute cuisine. I'm sure you still have some questions such as what to pack or about getting seasick. Indeed, two of the most persistent questions about cruising are dressing for dinner and tipping.