A cruise stop in Ponta Delgada goes better when you treat it like a timed itinerary, not an open-ended island day. The smartest plan depends on how many hours you really have ashore, whether you want to leave the city and how much margin you want before returning to the ship.
Before choosing any route, work from the real port schedule. The difference between four hours ashore and seven hours ashore completely changes what is practical from Ponta Delgada.
With a longer stop, you can normally leave Ponta Delgada and commit to one strong island route. For many travelers that means Sete Cidades, a shore excursion route or, with more margin, Furnas.
If the stop is very short, keeping the day simpler may be smarter. If you have enough hours to move comfortably, leaving the city for one well-chosen route usually gives a much stronger São Miguel experience than staying only in town.
A dedicated shore excursion becomes the smarter option when timing, pickup and return matter more than total flexibility. If you want the day built around the port schedule, it is often better than improvising transport and stops independently.
Plan your cruise stop like an itinerary with limits, and Ponta Delgada becomes a much easier gateway to São Miguel.