Port Blair Cruise Port
Port Blair, India · Asia
Cruise ships anchor offshore in Port Blair — tenders ferry passengers to the port.
Tender to Haddo Jetty in the Andaman Islands; Cellular Jail, Ross Island ruins, Corbyn's Cove Beach and Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park.
At a glance
Port summary
Port Blair (officially renamed Sri Vijaya Puram by the Indian government in September 2024 — both names are still in everyday use) is the capital of India's Andaman & Nicobar Islands and one of the more remote cruise calls on the Bay-of-Bengal side of the country, sitting 1,300 km east of Chennai. Most cruise ships ANCHOR in Port Blair harbour and TENDER passengers to Haddo Jetty on the western side of the harbour; smaller expedition vessels can berth alongside at the Haddo cargo wharf when the cruise berth is open. Aberdeen Bazaar and the Cellular Jail (the headline cruise-day sight) are 3 km east of Haddo Jetty across the central peninsula — a 10-min taxi ride or 30-min walk through the bazaar streets. Foreigners no longer need a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for South Andaman since 2018, but ID checks still happen on the Ross Island ferry pier. The cruise day splits naturally into three options: a city heritage half-day (Cellular Jail, Aberdeen Bazaar, the Anthropological and Samudrika museums), a Ross Island ferry trip (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island — abandoned British headquarters reclaimed by jungle) or a longer beach/nature day (Corbyn's Cove, Chidiya Tapu sunset point or the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor). Currency is the Indian rupee; ATMs are available in central Port Blair but cards are accepted at fewer places than mainland India and small island businesses are firmly cash-only. Uber and Ola do NOT operate in the Andamans — pre-paid taxis from Haddo Jetty or arranged through the IP&T tourism welcome desk are the cruise-day mode. Cell coverage is patchy and only Indian SIMs work; foreign roaming is unreliable. Cruise passengers must show their boarding card and passport at every jetty.
Cruise dock
🚢 Haddo Jetty — Cruise Tender Landing
OSM-confirmed Haddo Jetty (node 4709210191, amenity=ferry_terminal) on the western side of Port Blair harbour. The cruise tender landing for ships anchoring in the bay; smaller expedition vessels (under 200 m) can berth alongside at the Haddo cargo wharf when the cruise berth is open. Aberdeen Bazaar and the Cellular Jail are 3 km east via Marine Hill Road; the Samudrika Marine Museum is a 5-min walk along NH-4.
📍 Latitude: 11.683533, Longitude: 92.719536
See dock on port map →Getting to Port Blair
From the cruise terminal to the city centre
Pre-paid IP&T (Andaman Tourism) and private fixed-fare half- and full-day tours covering Cellular Jail + city museums, Ross Island boat, Mt Harriet drive and Wandoor Marine NP — the easiest cruise-day option.
📍 IP&T welcome desk and tour operators inside Haddo Jetty
Pre-paid IP&T taxi vouchers with fixed fares to Cellular Jail (₹500), Aberdeen Bazaar (₹400), Corbyn's Cove (₹700) and Wandoor (₹1500) avoid the bargaining; meters are usually skipped.
📍 Pre-paid taxi voucher kiosk at Haddo Jetty
Inter-island passenger ferries are how you reach Ross Island (30 min from Aberdeen Jetty), Viper Island, North Bay Island and Wandoor for the Marine NP. Buy tickets at the jetty counter and arrive 30 min early.
📍 Aberdeen Jetty (Ross Island), Phoenix Bay Jetty (outer islands)
Auto-rickshaws are useful for short hops from Haddo to Aberdeen Bazaar but slow up the hill to the Cellular Jail; meters are skipped — agree the fare before getting in.
📍 Auto-rickshaw rank outside Haddo Jetty
Aberdeen Bazaar is a 30-min uphill walk from Haddo Jetty along Marine Hill Road; the Cellular Jail is 1 km further east. Most cruisers take a pre-paid taxi instead.
📍 Step off Haddo Jetty onto Marine Hill Road
Andaman state buses run from Haddo to Aberdeen Bazaar and on to Wandoor and Chidiya Tapu but routes are infrequent, signage is in Hindi/Tamil and they get crowded; pre-paid taxis are easier for cruise visitors.
📍 Andaman state bus stop on Marine Hill Road outside Haddo Jetty
Map & things to do
Money & payments
Bring ₹2000-3000 in small notes from a mainland Indian port — ATMs in Aberdeen Bazaar can run out of cash on cruise days and foreign-card surcharges add up. Cards work only at the larger hotels and the Cellular Jail counter.
Things to do
Cellular Jail National Memorial
Short stop⭐ Highlight
1906 colonial-era prison where Indian freedom fighters were exiled — the iconic Kala Pani memorial.
🕐 Open Tue-Sun 09:00-12:30 and 13:30-16:45 — closed Monday
Ross Island (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose)
⭐ Highlight
Overgrown ruins of British Raj HQ — Chief Commissioner's House, ballroom and church.
🕐 First ferry 09:00 from Aberdeen Jetty; last return ~15:30 — closed Wednesdays
Viper Island
⭐ Highlight
Small jungle-clad island in the harbour with ruined 1860s gallows pre-dating the Cellular Jail.
🕐 Combined harbour-cruise tour from Phoenix Bay Jetty, ~14:00 daily
Chatham Island Sawmill
Short stop⭐ Highlight
1883 British-built sawmill on Chatham Island — once Asia's largest, with rolling-stock guided tours.
🕐 Open Mon-Sat 08:00-14:00 — closed Sundays
Marina Park & Aberdeen Jetty Walk
Short stop🚶 Walk
30-min seafront walk from Marina Park along Aberdeen Bay to the Ross Island ferry pier.
🕐 Late afternoon for the harbour light over Ross Island
Corbyn's Cove Beach
🏖️ Beach
Crescent of soft sand and palm shade 7 km south of town — the closest swim beach to Haddo Jetty.
🕐 Late morning when the beach shacks open and the lifeguards are on duty
Aberdeen Bazaar
Short stop🛒 Market
Compact main bazaar of Port Blair — shell jewellery, lacquered cane, pearls and snacks.
🕐 Late morning to mid-afternoon — many shops shut for the lunch siesta 13:00-15:00
Samudrika Marine Museum
Short stop🏛️ Museum
Indian Navy marine museum at Haddo with Andaman fish, coral, shells and a small whale skeleton.
🕐 Open Tue-Sun 09:00-12:30 and 13:30-17:00 — closed Monday
Zonal Anthropological Museum
Short stop🏛️ Museum
Compact museum on the Andaman tribes — Jarawa, Onge, Sentinelese — with photos, tools and dioramas.
🕐 Open Tue-Sun 10:00-12:30 and 13:30-16:30 — closed Monday and 2nd Saturday
Mount Harriet Viewpoint
📸 Viewpoint
365 m forested peak across the harbour — the panorama on the back of the Indian ₹20 note.
🕐 Mid-morning for the clear cross-harbour view before the haze builds
Chidiya Tapu Sunset Point
📸 Viewpoint
South-tip Andaman cove with the most-photographed sunset in Port Blair plus a small Biological Park.
🕐 Late afternoon for the sunset — Biological Park 09:00-17:00 (closed Mon)
Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP (Wandoor)
🌿 Nature
Glass-bottom boat tours from Wandoor over the coral gardens of Jolly Buoy and Red Skin Islands.
🕐 Boats run 09:00-13:00 — pre-book the Andaman Tourism morning slot
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Plan my day →Frequently asked questions
- Where does my cruise ship dock in Port Blair?
- Port Blair is a tender port: your ship anchors offshore and passengers transfer to shore by small boat.
- Can I walk from the cruise port into Port Blair?
- Walking into Port Blair from the cruise port isn't practical. Plan to use a shuttle, taxi, or public transport.
- How do I get from the cruise port to Port Blair centre?
- Typical options include Shuttle bus, Taxi, Ferry, Tuk-tuk, On foot, Local bus. Durations and costs are listed in the transport section above.
- How much time do I need in Port Blair?
- Plan for at least 5 hours ashore to see Port Blair independently and return to the ship with a safe buffer.
- What currency is used in Port Blair and are cards accepted?
- Port Blair uses the Indian Rupee. Carry some cash for markets, taxis, and smaller vendors — cards aren't accepted everywhere.
- Is there Wi-Fi at the cruise port?
- Wi-Fi isn't reliably available at the Port Blair cruise terminal. Consider a local SIM or your cruise line's data package.
- When should I be back at the ship?
- Cruise lines usually require all passengers on board about 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Confirm the exact all-aboard time on your daily programme.
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