Mormugao Cruise Port

Mormugao, India

The port of Mormugao is the gateway to the tourist state of Goa and whilst that means it is surrounded by beaches, hotel resorts and even the history capital city of Panjim but that isn’t what awaits you at the port itself.

The port itself features a lot of heavy industry, including iron ore shipments and that makes for a noisy and somewhat dirty area around the dock.

The entrance down to the cruise port is down a small and bumpy road and for those wanting to get off of the ship and set off exploring, it just isn’t really possible with even the nearest beach been quite some walk away.

Mormugao is a port that anybody visiting there will really need to book a shore excursion at or at least be prepared to wait for a tuk-tuk or taxi, but the good news is that there are a few options available for you to do to spend your time onshore.

Cruises To Mormugao

Our Visit

I visited the port in 2024 onboard the Celebrity Millennium cruise ship, on a repositioning sailing between Singapore and Mumbai where the port was the penultimate stop.

I have to say that it was an incredibly disappointing end to my getaway as the port has nothing at it, the immigration process there is actually dangerous as you spend far to long stood in the baking heat, but what really spoilt things was the poor excursion we had.

We booked to see the Churches of Old Goa and a visit to the capital of Panaji but the perfect mix of a poorly organised tour, a major festival taking place, somebody becoming ill and worst of all, the poor behaviour of a few on the tour all came together to ruin the day and to even make sure we never made it to Panaji, which was the main reason for us booking the excursion.

We were late back to the ship but with the long queue to get through immigration and security checks, it didn’t really matter too much and to be honest, I was just glad to get back onboard the Millennium and forget about the day, but I won’t hold that against the port in this review.

Mormugao Cruise Guide

If you have booked a cruise that is calling into the port, or if you are looking to visit India and are trying to decide on whether a stop in Mormugao is right for you or not, this is the guide for you as I bring you all you need to know about the Mormugao cruise port based on my own experience of visiting there and the research I did beforehand.

Type of Cruises Available

For those wanting to visit the port, there are only a few options available with some round trip sailing out of Mumbai onboard a local cruise line the best way to see the most of India, but for the vast majority of those looking to go there, it will need to be on a repositioning cruise.

There are a few options for where you can start and end your cruise with the most popular been what is known as the Spice Route, which is the journey that I did, which see’s ships sail between ports such as Dubai or Mumbai and Singapore.

Another option is to do a full traversing of the India Ocean by sailing between Southern Africa and Southeast Asia, with Cape Town to Singapore been a hugely popular route.

If you have a large budget and plenty of time, the final option is to choose a World Cruise calling in there, or even a partial World Cruise sailing between the UK and Australia.

Mormugao Cruise Port Location

The port is located in the Mormugao district of Goa, which is just to the north of Vasco de Gamo and to the south of Panjim but not close enough to either to visit without some form of transport.

It is close to Goa’s international airport but sits across a large natural harbour from the main tourist areas of the region.

Mormugao Cruise Facilities

Cruise ships dock on a long breakwater and the only thing that awaits you is a small hut where you go through your visa checks and what can only be described as a cage that you go through security checks in.

There is nothing else awaiting visitors and with it taking us around an hour to get through the chaos of security in the mid-afternoon heat, make sure you carry water and a hat at the very least.

There were some tuk-tuk waiting for people, but it would probably be best to book a private tour or vehicle if you want to go off exploring on your own.

Goa Attractions

Goa has developed as a popular seaside holiday resort in the region, but Mormugao itself has absolutely nothing at it, aside from heavy industry and a bustling port, so if you are wanting to head off of the ship, you will need to take a shore excursion or book transport.

Goa Shorex

There are lots of beaches that can be found along the coast of Goa and many cruise lines will offer shuttles taking you to one, or you can pre-book a transfer to meet you at the port.

An option you may want to do is the one that I did, where you go to Old Goa and to Panaji but hopefully you have a better expedience than I did.

If you are not interested in seeing the churches and cathedrals of Old Goa, you can just head for a tour around Panaji.

There are a few options for those who want to take in the natural beauty of the state including heading off to see some waterfalls, spice plantations, markets and some of the small islands dotted around Goa.

There are numerous neighbourhoods that take influence from the colonial powers that have ruled the region with Fontainhas one of the most beautiful and visited by tourists.

Best Time To Visit Goa

There are only a few ships that stop off at Mormugao, so it can often be the case that the best time to visit is when there is a line offering a ship you want to sail on calls in there!

The main season for ships to be sailing the region is between November and April as ships head between Europe/the Middle East and Asia.

Transport

If you want to explore Goa on your own from Mormugao, your only real option is to pre-book a private tour or to hope you can grab a tuk-tuk from outside the port gate, although these were limited when I called in there.

Mormugao Cruises From UK

If you want to visit the port directly from the UK, it is technically possible, but you will need to either be on a World Cruise, or a partial World Cruise sailing between the UK and Australia.

Mormugao Cruises From Southampton

The only ships that do head there will likely set sail from the UK’s leading cruise port of Southampton.