Mumbai dock location

[galeforce9]

Just booked Sojourn Dubai to Singapore and this is the first of many questions, so please humour me. Does anyone have past experience of where Seabourn docks in Mumbai? Hoping it is within walking distance of Taj Mahal Palace where we might finish up after touring and afternoon tea but I appreciate Mumbai is a huge and crowded place! I wanted to capture the early evening light without worrying about traffic back to the port for an 8 pm sailing. Been to India before a few times but not Mumbai. Thanks.

[Tony & Trevor]

Have been to Bombay three times but I do remember it was rather a long way to walk particularly with the heat.

 

A fascinating city. By the way, practically all the locals still call the city 'Bombay' A few city names have been changed by the PC brigade. The main newspaper is the Bombay Times.

 

I'm sure you will have an exciting superb time.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[Keith1010]

I have been there a few times.

 

I thought there was just one major cruise ship terminal and it was not in walking distance of the Taj Mahal Hotel.

 

You would need to take a taxi to get over there.

 

Keith

[galeforce9]

Many thanks all for your prompt replies! Can't wait. Only 10 months to go! Have always wanted to visit. Especially to see the crowded railways, the gateway of India, the marvellous grande dame Taj Mahal palace, Dhobi ghat etc etc.

[Keith1010]

It is a very unique city.

 

It has it all from tremendous poverty to tremendous wealth.

 

Be sure to learn about how lunch is delivered to many people who work in the downtown area. It is an amazing enterprise that some companies from around the world have studied for their own enterprises.

 

There is the outdoor laundry.

 

Just a couple of things to be aware of.

 

Be careful. Yes that is true of many cities. But be careful with your valuables.

 

And the taxis are an experience. If you use a taxi be sure you negotiate up front not only price but that you want to go to Point A to say Point B and you do not want to go on a five hour shopping spree. They really want to take you to every friend and relative they know so you shop there and they get money for that.

 

If you do take a taxi, don't take one that comes inside the terminal. Wall outside what they call the Green Wall and get a taxi there. The ones in the terminal are more expensive because they share part of the fare with the port police.

 

If you need an old part they have it in Mumbai. They probably have just about every item ever made.

 

Have a great time.

 

Keith

[BasandSyb]

Hi

From memory the dock wasn't far from The Taj Palace Hotel in terms of traffic getting back, but not really walking distance.

 

We had arrangements to meet some friends of friends who were going to take us around for the day, but couldn't find them. Turns out there were four port gates. We ended up walking outside the gates and getting a taxi. "Mr Mac" was fantastic. We did all the sights in the morning for $25US. Went back for lunch and a freshen up and back with Mr Mac in the afternoon for another 3-4 hours doing the slums and laundry etc. for another $25US.

 

We had a fantastic time and hope you do too.

[Portiamac]

We embarked at Mumbai last year. Not sure if it is close to the Taj Mahal Hotel or not but we found the port area a very unpleasant place to drive through (we were on a transfer provided by Seabourn). The ship docked quite far (at least 5 mins drive) from the entrance of the port (all gated and security checked/passport control took place at the entrance). The port area was very hot and dusty, full of (what looks like) run down warehouses. It also did not look very clean. All in all a very unpleasant experience and we were driving not walking through it! The 'terminal building' itself was one of the run down warehouses. We were going to get off the ship and spent a few hours in Mumbai, but after we saw the state of the port, we decided to stay on the ship.

 

With the hassle of getting an India visa and the state of the port area, we will not be embarking from Mumbai again if we can avoid it.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Portiamac

[Alipius]

You are quite right to be concernced, galeforce9. In fact, you should be more than concerned. We have done the Mumbai-embark bit twice now and it has been a disaster, both times. Why Seabourn doesn't provide a mini-map for the taxi-driver in the documents it sends (and which documents are otherwise quite useless once aboard), I don't know.

 

How can we explain to a driver, who doesn't really understand our description of a destination we've never been to and which he's never been to!? And taking cruise-people to a Ship is something he/she has probably never done before.

 

And, in Mumbai, there are many different 'gates'.

 

(It's not just Mumbai; Valparaiso in December 15 was an hour+ of driving around looking for the Terminal with an out-of-town-driver who was getting more and more......)

 

You get in a taxi and think it's all going to OK from there....

 

Get a map drawn! From anywhere, even from Seabourn (I got them to really pin-point it last time when leaving from Buenos Aires because there is a Ferry Terminal (to Uruguay) and an Overseas' one and the taxi-drivers mainly know the first and, so, the first time I did it it was a disaster.)

[PaulaJK]

I suggest that you check with your hotel concierge who should be knowledgeable about which dock the ship came into and which gate door to utilize. Then have the hotel door/bellman communicate this information to your taxi driver. I have found many Indian taxi drivers lack a thorough under-standing of English despite India being the world's largest English speaking nation.

 

The 'terminal' with its various entry gates and often tedious security is somewhat different than many other ports but go anticipating that and you will be fine.

 

If you are thinking about walking from the hotel to the port, I would reconsider that.

[Alipius]

I agree with all of what PaulaJK says: albeit, the doorman at the Hotel just might not know...

 

And you say you're only at the Hotel for the afternoon and evening: this is a truly great pity because in the morning the Breakfast includes what surely is the best Masala Dosa in the whole wide World. Once tried, it will likely have you trying to find its twin elsewhere and, for me, that has so far been fruitless. (And when I later read how the Dosa is produced, you understand why.)

 

PS: in an early sunny afternoon, a swim in that enormous Pool and a glassa Moet poolside is really worth it, IMHO. And, for men, you may find that a visit to Burlington Tailors in the Arcade is a delight: It's been seven years and I still get a comment about the quality of the fabric of the shirt...