Port guide: Mumbai, India

Mumbai is a freewheeling, trendsetting, fashionable, glamorous city that typifies the buzz and challenges of fast-changing, contemporary India.

Who goes there

India’s busiest cruise port is modest by international standards, with just 52 cruise ships visiting last year. That number might surge as the government actively pursues the cruise market, and domestic cruise tourism booms. Cruise ships visit either as part of longer Asian cruises, or occasionally use Mumbai as a departure or arrival port on itineraries to South-East Asia. Azamara, Celebrity, Oceania, Ponant, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn and Silversea are among lines that visit.

Mumbai and its sea front.Credit: iStock

Sail on in

As you sail towards a sheltered bay that bustles with passenger ferries and cargo ships, you’ll spot several headlands including (to port, behind two offshore lighthouses) Colaba, a posh suburb of the original Bombay. You’ll also be able to see the iconic Gateway of India on the same side of the ship. The throb of this energetic, chaotic city is palpable.

Berth rites

Mumbai International Cruise Terminal at Ballard Pier is a short distance from the city centre. Immigration formalities are sluggish. The terminal has a few shops and services such as currency exchange, but a new, much sleeker terminal is expected to open by the end of the year, and shops and restaurants added in 2025.

Going ashore

The Gateway of India is the city’s landmark, built in 1927 for the state visit of King George V. Taj Mahal Palace nearby is another colonial-era marvel, as is the Prince of Wales Museum, which brings together fine arts, miniature paintings and natural history exhibits. The Jain Temple is well worth a visit. Then head to Marine Drive, whose promenades curve around the bay to Chowpatty Beach at the foot of the Malabar Hills.

World’s most beautiful station? Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.Credit: Getty Images

Don’t miss

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) is arguably the world’s greatest train station. Opened in 1888, it looks like a vast Gothic cathedral covered in stained glass, sculpted animals, friezes and gargoyles. A thousand trains leave daily, bringing three million people in and out of the city, and the passengers are just as fascinating as the architecture. If you arrive around lunchtime, dabbawallas transferring cooked meals from households to offices provide another spectacle.

Get active

Crowded, polluted Mumbai isn’t the place to get your legs moving and lungs pumping, so you’d best get your exercise in early at the ship’s gym or jogging deck. If you’re up for some fun, though, join enthusiastic cricketing locals on Oval or Azad maidans. The cricket season at Wankhede Stadium runs between October and March if you want to enjoy one of India’s great sporting experiences.

Retail therapy

One of the pleasures of Mumbai is rummaging through its 70-odd street markets for jewellery, trinkets and wood carvings. Chor Bazaar flea market has anything from crystal chandeliers to antique porcelain and cheap crockery. However, Mumbai is also the design and fashion capital of India. Colaba district is the destination for fine home furnishings, antiques, silverware and the latest fashions – as well as stylish cocktail bars with ocean views. Bandra district’s up-and-coming designers give it a more youthful and edgy appeal, especially along Linking Road and Hill Road.

Further afield

Shore excursions concentrate on Mumbai’s highlights or focus on particular aspects of the city such as its Jewish history or Hindu temples. Beyond the city, excursions visit Elephanta Island, a 30-minute boat ride, for its fine rock temples sculpted between 450 and 750 AD with scenes from the life of Shiva and other Hindu deities. Monkeys are pesky, so leave your jewellery and food behind, and keep a firm grip on your camera.