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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

port of call

Navy warning vessels trying to run the blockade and exit the Persian Gulf to return to their last port of call.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday visited Italy's Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 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

Sister Fenella was his first port of call, and as the rain flung itself against the window, they sat at the kitchen table and kneaded some dough for the priory’s bread.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman