A yacht-filled marina, opulent mansions built for summer socializing, lobster straight from the briny: that is Newport, Rhode Island. Of all the historic ports on the US coast, nowhere matches this small city on Narragansett Bay. Add upmarket boutiques, cheerful cafes and a handy trolley/bus that links major sights, and you have the perfect cruise destination. If you are travelling on a big cruise ship, you will be tendered to Perotti Park in downtown Newport (by contrast, small vessels dock on the terra firma at 200-year-old Fort Adams). Drop by the Newport Visitors Center for maps and information (discovernewport.org).