Singapore to Mumbai

[dcbiker97]

One of the cruises that I’m looking to book once they come out later this year is a Singapore to Mumbai cruise (if it’s being offered in 2026). For those of you who have been, is there any advantage or starting in Singapore or in Mumbai?  Also for 2025, Celebrity has a 12 and a 14 night cruise with the extra stops being Port Klang Malaysia, Goa India and overnight in Penang Malaysia. I’m always one for longer cruises but are these ports with the added expense of the longer cruise? 
 

 

Edited October 8 by dcbiker97

[Thejuggler]

Have you visited India before?

 

If yes you will be fully aware of what visiting India entails.

If no you need to be aware of what visiting India entails.

Edited October 8 by Thejuggler

[dcbiker97]

21 minutes ago, Thejuggler said:

Have you visited India before?

 

If yes you will be fully aware of what visiting India entails.

If no you need to be aware of what visiting India entails.

I have not, but my spouse has visited India for years for work and is very familiar. So I am coming in with that knowledge.

[CruseKrazy]

3 hours ago, Thejuggler said:

Have you visited India before?

 

If yes you will be fully aware of what visiting India entails.

If no you need to be aware of what visiting India entails.

We are booked on the Mumbai to Singapore cruise in 2026.  Can you elaborate a bit on what visiting India entails?  Thanks.

[nijh]

In answer to the first question.  I did this cruise last February and chose to go Mumbai to Singapore, the main reason was that last time I left from Mumbai airport it was a nightmare.  They are on a constant red alert so every passenger gets patted down individually, as well as the usual security checks.  It felt I was in the security area for 2 lifetimes.  
 

Other reasons included that we wanted to go somewhere else for a few days post cruise and the choices from Singapore were better than Mumbai, having said that we ended up flying to Delhi for a few days to see the Taj Mahal.

 

I enjoyed Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), didn’t see much of Penang as it was so hot and my plans for the day just didn’t pan out.  What we saw made me want to go back though, but with better planning!  Not sure an overnight there would sway me over other ports.  Goa not so much, expected something more interesting, but we didn’t do any beaches and that’s what it’s known for.

 

 

For the second question, I’m pretty sure the poster means the visa process.  At least it is back as an e-visa, but you need to sit down and put aside some time to go through the process.  It is laborious the first time you do it, at least for us in the UK it is.

[Thejuggler]

Firstly I'm UK based, have visited India numerous times, but not for quite a few years, it is however somewhere we will go back to.

 

India is a destination like no other, it attacks all your senses as soon as you arrive.  Its also a place you can take an instant dislike to if you can't quickly accept things often don't work as you would expect and no amount of you wanting things to be different will change a thing!  As the earlier poster says airports in particular can be arduous.  Don't be surprised if by the end of the process between arriving and leaving you have numerous extra pieces of paper, stamps on the paperwork, security checks, luggage checks and if one stamp is missing you may be sent back to get it.
 

Before that the first issue for many visitors is actually gaining access to visit.  It is highly likely you will need to obtain a visa before travelling.

 

This has never been a straightforwards process, the rules change on types of visa, durations, whether re entry is allowed etc etc and whilst I haven't visited for many years, the online system appears to be more clunky than the old apply by post system!  You need to allow time to apply and certainly for UK visitors it is costly so visiting India for a very short period just to get to/from airport to ship makes it an expensive visit.

 

I would have more time in India as part of the trip - its a huge country and whilst cities and famous sights are mad crazy, escape those and its a different world.

 

Health concerns cannot be discounted.  You may need vaccinations (tetanus, typhoid, cholera) and for longer stays malaria medication may be required. This may have to be taken for an extended period before and after the trip.  Food is amazing and varied, but upset stomachs are just par for the course and food poisoning is always a risk.

I've also visited Penang and agree its a lovely place, 24 hours isn't long enough.  We stayed a week and would go back.

 

The Goa port appears to be near the main airport which is a long way from the main tourist areas and cities so I'm not sure what would be achieved visiting.  If you want to visit Goa go for longer as part of the trip.