Kochi Cruise Port

Kochi, India

Kochi, which maybe better known to some as Cochin, is the largest port in the Indian state of Kerala, that has also developed recently into a popular crise port of call for ships sailing in this part of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

Also known as Ernakulam, due to the district it sits in and nicknamed the Queen of the Arabian Sea, the city offers as many differences as it has names.

Parts of the city are still heavily influenced by its Dutch past, parts are still influenced by its British past and parts are unique to the city and state as whilst it is in India, it differs from most other parts of the country due to the popularity of Communism is the state.

Cruise ships dock on a man -made island, which does make it difficult to get to the ‘mainland’ but a series of passenger and car ferries link you to the main city and to the tourist parts of town.

Cruises To Kochi

Our Visit

I was fortunate enough to visit in late 2024 onboard the Celebrity Millennium cruise ship, on a cruise between Singapore and Mumbai, which did put my visit there in the monsoon season and that would play a big part.

We had an overnight stay, with a noon arrival on day 1 and an late afternoon departure on day 2, which should have given me and my wife plenty of time to explore the city on our own on the first day before heading off on excursion on the second day.

It should have actually been the other way around but the line changed our planned excursion day, and it would quickly become clear why they had done that as it would take hours to get off of the ship as everybody on board had to exit the ship, walk a few hundred metres to the terminal and go through visa and immigration checks.

Nobody could get back onboard until the last person had cleared but with heavy rain, everybody was wet, tired and fighting for cover.

With darkness quickly closing in by the time our number was called to exit the ship and with the rain getting heavier and heavier, we gave up on our pans to head to the fort part of the city and simply went straight back onboard, when we could.

After not the greatest start to our Kochi visit, the 2nd day was much better as the sun was shining, and we headed off to the Alappuzha for a houseboat ride around the Kerala backwaters.

That was an incredible hour or so and we got to see lots of the region on the coach ride there and back so despite things not all going to plan, we left the city with positive thoughts of it.

Kochi Cruise Guide

In this guide I take you through all that you need to know about visiting Kochi on a cruise holiday, so if you have already booked a stop in the city on a cruise and want to make the most of your time on shore, or if you are wanting to cruise in the region and want to know if the port is worth you visiting or not, this is the guide for you.

Type of Cruises Available

When it comes to visiting the city on a cruise there are two main options available, a round-trip itinerary and a repositioning cruise as there are no turnaround facilities at the port, aside from facilities for a small local line.

One option is to cruise with a local line, on a round trip of the Indian Ocean coast of the country starting in Mumbai but for most visitors it will be on a repositioning itinerary that most will call into the port on.

Arguably the most popular option is to take what is known as the ‘Spice Route’ which sails mostly between India and Singapore although some will start earlier in the Middle East and will continue on to other ports in Asia.

Another popular option is full crossing of the Indian Ocean that usually sail between Cape Town and Singapore with another option been a World Cruise or partial World Cruise that stop in the city for those with the time and funds to do them.

Kochi Cruise Port Location

The cruise terminal in the city is located on the man-made Willingdon Island, which is to the west of the main city and to the east of the touristy Fort Kochi.

Whilst there are a couple of bridges linking the island to other parts of the city, both are a long walk and even a long car journey from the Ernakulam Wharf where your ship docks.

There are a couple of ferry piers close by to get to most of the popular areas in the city for tourists.

Kochi Cruise Facilities

There is a terminal building at the port but there are few facilities at it other than been somewhere to queue to get through the arduous immigration process in the city, which it should be said isn’t as bad as some other ports.

The terminal building was fully opened in 2018 and features numerous counters for e-visa verification and for army checks.

In front of the terminal, there are some tuk-tuks waiting to take people on tours of the city or to Fort Kochi, although the ferry is much cheaper and quicker.

For our visit, a few shops were set up just to the side of the terminal building selling some locals produce and the usual types of gifts you would expect- but just don’t forget to haggle!

Kochi Attractions

Although most will head out on excursion when in the city, if you want to explore on your own it is not only relatively straight forward to do so as one of the more connected cities in India but there is also lots to explore.

As previously mentioned, the Fort Kochi area is the main tourist centre of the city and features a mix of attractions and local sights of interest including some beautiful historic buildings going back to the days of Dutch rule.

There is a small theatre there with a local troupe showcasing traditional Kathakali dance and culture which is something that I got to enjoy onboard my ship when visiting as Celebrity invited them onboard, but it is something I would recommend everybody heads over for.

It is also there were some of the cities Chinese fishing nets can be seen up close, although you will also sail past a number of them on your entry and exit into the cruise dock.

In the main part of the city, there is a massive shopping centre call the LuLu Mall which features a mix of international chains and local shops and whilst it is some distance from the ship, you can get there easily via a ferry and then a metro trip.

Just a short walk from the shopping centre is the impressive Edappally Church Complex, which is open to visitors and makes for an impressive photo opportunity worthy of Instagram.

Close to where you will get off of the ferry from the ship to the mainland is the Jew Town historic district which features a warren of streets full of shops, temples and churches.

There is a Folklore Museum that gives an insight into the history and culture of Kerala but if you just want to sit back, relax and enjoy the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, there are plenty of beaches around the city awaiting you.

Whilst perhaps not an actual attraction, the city is built upon waterways which makes the range of ferries found throughout the city not just a great way to explore but a fun way to do it.

There are lots of stopping off points all around the city and a range of older ferries mostly aimed at locals and costing only a few pence a ride to modern ferries more aimed at tourists.

Kochi Shorex

The main shore excursion to do in the city is to do what me and my wife did and head out to Aleppey and the backwaters of Kerala, which you can do either onboard a traditional houseboat or on a modern motorboat.

Another option is to head out to the rice field of Munnar but for my visit, the second most popular shorex in Kochi was to go on a city tour onboard a tuk-tuk, there are lots of different versions of that from short ones simply heading to the tourist attractions of Fort Kochi, to longer ones heading around the temples and churches of the old town whilst if you have a full day available to you, you can head out on a full day tour to take in all aspects of the city.

A more adventurous and costly option but one that some on our ship did was to head to the Taj Mahal, which did take a couple of days and those doing it had to meet the ship once we reached Mumbai.

Best Time To Visit Kochi

There are only a few itineraries that call in there each year, so the best time to visit is when there is a ship going there you want to sail on.

The main cruise season is between November to April as ships move between Europe and Asia between the winter and summer months.

Transport

There are a few different transportation options open to tourists visiting the city and for those who want to get around Kochi on their own.

The first, and easiest, is to simply just in a tuk-tuk that awaits you outside of the terminal entrance and head to where you want to go.

In places such as Jew Town and Fort Kochi, there are loads awaiting you so you can either do a tour with one or use one like a taxi to drop you off somewhere.

There are also some regular taxis but for me, the next best option is to use the numerous ferries that sail to all parts of the city and that set off from just a short stroll away from the cruise dock.

Once in the main city, there is an above ground metro train that runs from close to a ferry stop and that goes to the cities large mall and cricket ground amongst other sights.

Kochi Cruises From UK

Whilst it is possible to visit the port of Kochi directly from the UK, you will need to either be on a World Cruise, or a partial World Cruise to do so.

Kochi Cruises From Southampton

If you would like to go there directly from these shores, the best chance will be from the port of Southampton.