Cruise to Andaman 2026: Ship Ticket Prices, Fares & Inter-Island Cruises

A cruise to Andaman from the Indian mainland is not a leisure cruise liner. It is a government passenger ship run by the Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS), Andaman & Nicobar Administration. Three mainland ports connect to Port Blair: Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam (Vizag). Ships sail across the Bay of Bengal and dock at Haddo Wharf in Port Blair (officially renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in 2024), the island’s main passenger-ship terminal.

Because these are scheduled government sailings rather than daily ferries, seats are limited and sell out fast in peak season (October to March). Fares are fixed by an annual DSS order and split into two passenger categories, islander (permanent A&N residents) and non-islander (all mainland tourists), with several cabin classes on each ship. The sections below give the current 2026 price for every origin city, the full per-ship fare table, and a step-by-step booking guide.

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The Chennai to Andaman ship ticket price starts at ₹4,115 (Bunk Class) and goes up to ₹15,905 (Deluxe Cabin) for non-islanders, on MV Swaraj Dweep and MV Campbell Bay.

Chennai is the busiest mainland gateway to Port Blair, with roughly three to four sailings a month and the most reliable year-round schedule. The crossing covers around 1,200 km of open sea and takes close to three days (about 56 to 70 hours, depending on the ship and sea conditions). Bunk Class is a shared dormitory with basic bedding. 2nd, 1st and Deluxe are progressively more private cabins, with Deluxe being air-conditioned with an attached bathroom. Islander fares on the same route run from ₹1,530 (Bunk) to ₹8,245 (Deluxe).

Because Chennai has the most departures, it is the easiest route to get a date on at short notice and the best choice if your travel window is fixed. Sailings usually leave from the Chennai port. You collect a boarding pass against your e-ticket and original ID at the shipping office before departure, so arrive several hours early. If your preferred class is sold out online, the Chennai counter (address below) sometimes releases a separate quota, so it is worth a call before you settle for a more expensive cabin.

The Kolkata to Andaman ship ticket price ranges from ₹4,115 (Bunk) to ₹15,905 (Deluxe) for non-islanders on the Swaraj Dweep-class ships, with MV Sindhu and MV Nalanda also working this route.

Kolkata sees a similar frequency to Chennai, about three to four departures a month, and is the longest of the three crossings by distance, at roughly 1,250 km. Plan for around three days at sea. On MV Sindhu and MV Nalanda the fare ladder is slightly different. These ships add an open-seating Seat class (₹2,950 non-islander / ₹1,390 islander) below Bunk, and their Deluxe cabin tops out higher, at ₹17,485 non-islander. See the full per-ship table below for the exact class-by-class breakdown.

The Vizag to Andaman ship ticket price uses the same DSS scale: ₹4,115 to ₹15,905 (non-islander) on the Swaraj Dweep-class ships, from ₹1,530 for islanders.

Vizag is the least frequent route, typically just one sailing a month, so book the moment reservations open. It is often described as the shortest of the three sea crossings to Port Blair. If a short time at sea matters to you, confirm the current sailing duration against the live DSS schedule before you commit, as it varies by ship and season. The cabin classes, facilities and islander/non-islander split are identical to the Chennai and Kolkata sailings.

The single-sailing-a-month schedule is the real constraint on this route. Miss the date and the next ship is four weeks away, so it suits travellers who can plan well ahead rather than anyone with a flexible-but-soon trip. Confirm the exact departure date as soon as the DSS schedule for your month is published, and book the return leg in the same sitting. A one-a-month outbound usually means a one-a-month return, and the two have to fit your trip length.

All mainland sailings are run by the Directorate of Shipping Services, but the four ships are not identical. The class line-up and the top fare differ between the two pairs, which is why the per-ship table below splits them.

• MV Swaraj Dweep & MV Campbell Bay are the two newer, larger vessels on the route. They carry Bunk, 2nd, 1st and Deluxe classes (no open Seat class), and their Deluxe cabin is the lower of the two Deluxe fares at ₹15,905 (non-islander). These are the ships most commonly quoted for the Chennai and Kolkata sailings.
• MV Sindhu & MV Nalanda are the older pair. They add an open-seating Seat class below Bunk (₹2,950 non-islander), which is the cheapest way to cross, and their cabins run slightly dearer, with Deluxe topping the whole route at ₹17,485. Choose a Seat fare only for a short, budget crossing. Three days in open seating is demanding.

Which ship works a given sailing is set by the DSS schedule, not by you, so check the ship name when you pick your date, then read the matching table below. The class names and onboard experience are otherwise consistent across all four.

This is the single table no other guide gets right: the full FY2026-27 DSS fare for every cabin class, in both passenger categories, for all four mainland ships. Islander fares apply to permanent Andaman & Nicobar residents (carry a domicile/ID proof). Non-islander fares apply to every mainland tourist. All figures are one-way and exclude taxes and port charges.

MV Swaraj Dweep & MV Campbell Bay (These Two Ships Do Not Have a Seat Class)

MV Sindhu & MV Nalanda

Across all ships the 2026 non-islander fare spans ₹4,115 to ₹17,485 and the islander fare ₹1,530 to ₹9,070. Source: DSS Passenger Fares 2026-27 (Order No.216), in force from 1 April 2026.

If you have not yet picked a departure port, this is the fastest way to decide. Fares are identical across the three routes (set by class, not by city). The real differences are frequency, distance and how far ahead you must book.

Takeaway: Chennai and Kolkata give you the most date flexibility. Vizag has the fewest sailings, so it demands the earliest booking. Distances and durations are approximate and vary by ship and sea state.

Return sailings from Port Blair (Haddo Wharf) back to Chennai, Kolkata or Vizag use the same DSS fare table. A non-islander Bunk seat home costs the same ₹4,115 as the outbound leg, and a Deluxe cabin the same ₹15,905 to ₹17,485 depending on the ship. Return dates are not guaranteed to line up neatly with your outbound sailing, so check the return schedule before you fix your trip length. In peak season the gap between sailings can be a week or more. Book the return leg as early as the outbound one.

For most tourists a flight is faster and often barely more expensive than a cabin-class ship ticket. The ship wins on budget (Bunk Class) and on the experience of the crossing itself. Here is the honest trade-off.

*Flight fares are dynamic and swing with season and airline. Treat ~₹4,500 as a typical floor, not a fixed price. Choose the ship if you want the cheapest crossing or the Bay-of-Bengal voyage. Choose a flight if you are short on time or cannot secure a sailing date.

The ship is for travellers who have time and want to spend the least (Bunk Class), or who genuinely want the experience of the open crossing. Think students, backpackers, long-trip travellers and sea lovers. A flight is the sensible default for everyone on a tight schedule, families with small children, or anyone who would not enjoy three offline days at sea. Once you price a 1st or Deluxe cabin against a flight, the time saved usually outweighs the small extra cost. Many travellers do one leg by ship for the experience and fly the other to save days.

Mainland ship tickets are sold through the DSS STARS (Ship Ticket Advance Reservation System) e-ticketing portal. DSS opens reservations once each voyage is scheduled, usually a few weeks ahead, and popular sailings sell out within hours, so book the day bookings open. Here is the online process (see the official DSS STARS portal).

• Open the DSS STARS e-ticketing portal at dss.andamannicobar.gov.in/eticketing.
• Register or log in with a mobile number and email.
• Select your route, sailing date, ship and cabin class.
• Add passenger details and choose islander or non-islander category (carry valid ID; islander fares need A&N residence proof).
• Pay online with card, net banking or UPI.
• Download and print the e-ticket.
• Report to Haddo Wharf (Port Blair) or your mainland departure terminal with original photo ID before sailing.

Offline Booking Counters

You can also book in person at the DSS / shipping counters below (verified addresses). These are useful if online inventory shows sold out, as counters sometimes hold a separate quota.

• Chennai: Assistant Director (Shipping Services), Jawahar Building, 2nd Floor, No. 17 Rajaji Salai, Chennai 600001. (044) 2522 0841.
• Kolkata: Shipping Corporation of India, Shipping House, 13 Strand Road, Kolkata 700001. (033) 2482354.
• Port Blair: Directorate of Shipping Services, Phoenix Bay, Port Blair 744101. (03192) 245555 / 234299.
• Vizag: the DSS counter quota and address are not publicly listed online. Confirm the current counter with the DSS Visakhapatnam office before you travel.

These are functional passenger ships, not cruise liners, so set expectations accordingly and the crossing is comfortable enough. Bunk Class is a large shared hall of bunks with common washrooms. It is the cheapest way across but offers no privacy. 2nd and 1st Class are 4-berth and 2-berth cabins. Deluxe is a private air-conditioned cabin with an attached bathroom and the best meal options. Every ship has an onboard canteen serving simple vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals (roughly ₹50 to ₹150 a meal), plus a basic medical room. Mobile signal disappears once you are out at sea, so download anything you need beforehand. Pack motion-sickness tablets. The open Bay of Bengal can get rough, especially outside the calm October to March window, and seasickness is the single most common complaint from first-time crossers.

A typical day at sea settles into a slow rhythm: meals at fixed canteen hours, long stretches on deck watching open water, and early nights. There is no Wi-Fi, no on-demand entertainment and limited fresh water for washing, so a power bank, downloaded books or films, a refillable bottle and a few snacks make the three days far more pleasant. Deck space is open to all classes and is the best place to be when the sea is calm. Keep valuables and documents on you rather than in the hold, and note that the canteen is cash-friendly but can run low on choices late in the voyage, so carry some non-perishable food as backup.

Documents, Check-in & Baggage

Reach the departure terminal well ahead of sailing, several hours rather than minutes. Boarding for a three-day voyage involves an ID check, a ticket-to-passenger match and security screening, and ships do not wait. What to have ready:

• Ticket + ID: the e-ticket (printed or on your phone) plus original government photo ID for every passenger named on it.
• Islander proof: A&N domicile / residence proof is required at boarding to claim the lower islander fare. Without it you may be asked to pay the non-islander difference.
• Permits: no advance permit for Indian nationals to the main islands. Foreign nationals collect a free Restricted Area Permit on arrival at Port Blair (valid 30 days). Carry your passport for the RAP.
• Baggage: pack light and lockable. There is limited secure storage, so keep medicines, electronics, documents and a change of clothes in a cabin bag you keep with you, and label larger luggage.

The best months for the sea crossing are October to March, when the Bay of Bengal is calmest and all three routes run at peak frequency. This overlaps with Andaman’s main tourist season, so sailings fill early. Book two to three months ahead for peak dates (more for the December to January holiday peak). April and May are hotter but still sailable. Avoid the southwest monsoon (roughly June to September), when seas are roughest, sailings are less predictable and the crossing is least pleasant.

Month by month: October to February is the sweet spot, with pleasant temperatures on the islands and the smoothest water. March and April stay sailable but get warm and humid. June to September is monsoon, with rougher seas and a higher chance of schedule changes. If you must travel then, expect a less comfortable crossing and build slack into your plans. Note that the calmest sea season is also the most booked, so early sailings and Deluxe cabins go first. The calendar and the booking pressure both point to locking dates as far ahead as you can.

A rough, transparent estimate for a budget-to-mid trip, using current non-islander fares. Your actual cost depends on cabin class, season and how you travel on the islands.

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