port of call

American  

noun

1. a port visited briefly by a ship, usually to take on or discharge passengers and cargo or to undergo repairs.

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port of call British  

noun

1. any port where a ship stops, excluding its home port

2. any place visited on a traveller's itinerary

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Etymology

Origin of port of call

First recorded in 1880–85

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

port of call

Tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed the ship's last port of call appeared to have been Izmail, in southern Ukraine, which it left on September 18 fully laden.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

They said a variety of deterrents, including spikes and vapour-releasing gel pods to discourage roosting, were used as a first port of call.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Its final port of call before reaching Acapulco was Colima.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The rerouting around Africa adds time and cost, as the trip is 10 to 15 days longer than through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, depending on the final port of call in Europe.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026

Next port of call, two years hence: the Saturn system.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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