I use excel for my databases of shipping movements in the South East for: Littlehampton, Shoreham, Newhaven and Rye. I have been using Excel since I took over producing this information for a branch of the WSS, some 5 years ago.
I would add that a former WSS member now resident in Gibraltar also uses Excel for his databases on the monthly shipping movements in and around the Ports and the bay.
Whether or not you use Access or Excel is a matter of personal preference. With present MS products one can import and export data from either packages, although I have not done this I have been given a demo to show that it can be done.