Gujarat has a unique geographical position where its southern or lower portion is separated into two different regions by Arabian sea. Bhavnagar district is towards the left portion while the famous Surat city and the district is towards the right portion. By road, one would take about 8 hours to reach Bhavnagar from Surat and vice-versa.
However, there is a sea route which reduces the travel time by more than half. It is the cruise experience from Bhavnagar’s Ghogha port to Surat’s Hazira port. Ghogha is a coastal town in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. It houses a private port which offers a daily cruise service from Bhavnagar to Surat through a ship which transports not only passengers, it includes vehicles, materials, goods and more on a daily basis.
Cruise service is available from either districts on a daily basis at different timings. One has to report to the port an hour before the scheduled departure of the ship to buy tickets and board the ship.
Let’s look at seven of the important pointers that would help you in your cruise planning from either of the districts.
Names of the ports and their locations
It is Ghogha port in Bhavnagar which connects to Hazira port in the Surat district. Both these ports are at least 18 – 20 kms away from the town and city respectively. The sea wise aerial distance is around 31 – 35 kms which takes 4 hours to cover through sea.
Name of the cruise company
DG (Dahej Ghogha) Sea Connect is a Ropax (Ro-Ro ferry) service provider which is operated by Indigo Seaways. They maintain a website that provides up to date information on the ferry services and timings. They are also responsive to phone calls. Their details in the below website link.
Reporting time
Since these ports are slightly away from the city and on the coast, it is advisable to plan the journeys to ensure early arrivals. They advise 1 hour prior to departure, but, arriving at the port at least 40 minutes prior to departure is recommended. Especially if one has to transport their vehicles such as cars / bikes or commercial vehicles like trucks and load lorries, it may generally take time. But for passengers, it wouldn’t be a hassle.
Various classes
For passengers of Ro-Ro ferry, there are three to four different classes such as Executive, Sleeper, Room, Cabin, Lounge, etc. Honestly, except for Rooms / cabins, all other classes are almost the same with the only major difference is on the seating, space between seats and number of seats. Since it is a 4 hour journey to enjoy the sea link and to get first hand experience of sea journey, it generally doesn’t make sense to book a cabin / individual room.
Three decks
The ship has three major decks / floors. The lower most deck is the one through which we enter the ship. This is also the deck where all the heavy vehicles, trucks, cars, bikes, etc. are parked and locked. And then comes the middle deck which houses the passenger area, lounge, game zone, canteen and various classes of seats. The top most deck is partially open to air space with only a metallic shed kind of a framework. This gives beautiful view of the entire ocean in three directions. The top deck also houses a mini snack counter. The space is filled with chairs for people to sit and enjoy the view, the journey and also enable chit chat.
The Canteen
The important element in any one’s travel plan is the food. The ship houses a classical restaurant which offers pure vegetarian multi-cuisine food. The quality and taste is amazing though it comes at a slightly premium price. A cruise ship offering only vegetarian food is something one can witness only in Gujarat. The canteen operates throughout the journey and offer wide range of options on food, beverages and desserts. You wouldn’t be disappointed.
Time and website information
The ferry timing various and it depends on DG Connect’s cruise operations. It would be prudent to check their website before going to the port.
Website for pre-booking: Go to this website https://www.dgferry.com/ . The website looks similar to any travel and hotel booking site where you can select your source and destination. Accordingly, the time of departure will be available for you to select and proceed with your reservation.