Makruzz Ferry in Andaman: Booking, Timings, Fares and Is It Worth It
- India
- Andaman
- Makruzz Ferry
If you are flying into the Andamans and planning the usual Port Blair–Havelock–Neil circuit, you will spend more time thinking about ferries than you expect.
~1.5 hrs
Port Blair → Havelock
Private catamaran · ~90 min to Havelock · book direct
25 km / 1–1.5 hr
Households
~20 total
Ideal stay
1 – 2 nights
In shortHow the Makruzz ferry works on the Port Blair, Havelock and Neil circuit: booking, timings, fares and its value.
MakruzzGo2AndamanEternal AndamansAdventure AndamanMakruzz is the name that comes up first, and for good reason: it is the oldest private high-speed ferry in the islands and, on most days, the smoothest way to hop between them. We have taken it more than once: this is a first-hand, no-commission take, and if a government ferry or a rival makes more sense for you, we will say so.
Makruzz is a fleet of high-speed catamaran (twin-hull) ferries connecting the main tourist islands: Port Blair (now officially Sri Vijaya Puram), Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep), with some seasonal Baratang connectivity. The twin-hull design sits more steadily on the water than a single hull: a real difference on a choppy crossing.
The fleet runs three vessels (Makruzz, Makruzz Gold and Makruzz Pearl) around ten sailings a day across the circuit. Cabins are fully air-conditioned with tinted windows, a small cafeteria, washrooms, TV screens and the usual safety kit. It feels closer to a short domestic flight than a rustic boat ride. And the most-searched question has a simple answer: Makruzz is private, as are Nautika and Green Ocean; the government runs its own far cheaper, slower ferries.
| Route | Duration | Premium fare (₹) | Best for |
| Port Blair → Havelock | ~1.5 hrs | 1,350–1,800 + GST | Comfort and reliability |
| Havelock → Neil | ~1 hr | 1,100–1,500 + GST | Island hopping mid-trip |
| Neil → Port Blair | ~1.25 hrs | 1,220–1,600 + GST | Getting back for your flight |
01 · What Makruzz actually is
Fares move with the season and exclude the 18% GST added at checkout. Deluxe and Royal classes cost more than Premium. Timings are revised through the year: always confirm the live schedule when you book.
Premium: what most people book
The lower deck and largest cabin (roughly 208–262 seats by vessel). Comfortable airline-style seating with sea views. No meal included, and perfectly fine for a 1–1.5 hour hop.
Deluxe: the quiet upper deck
Far smaller (around 63 seats), more legroom, a clearer view and a complimentary snack on some sailings. Worth the small premium if you value the extra space.
Royal: the small splurge
A private cabin of about 8 pushback seats with dedicated staff and a meal: closest to business class on a plane. Nice for honeymooners, not essential for a 90-minute crossing.
Typical timings
Port Blair → Havelock: ~8:00–8:15am (arriving ~9:45) and ~2:00pm. Havelock → Neil: late morning, about an hour. Neil → Port Blair: ~11:30am. Havelock → Port Blair: ~4:00pm. The shape makes it easy to do a morning crossing, spend the day, and continue on a later boat, but cross-check the live timetable, which shifts between peak and lean seasons.
Our honest class verdict
Budget realistically: for a couple doing Port Blair → Havelock → Neil → Port Blair on Makruzz, the ferries alone add up to ₹8,000–12,000 across the trip once GST is in. Infants (≤1 yr) travel for a token fee; children 2+ pay full adult fare. Peak-period surcharges of ~₹100 apply around December–January.
Premium is enough
Book Deluxe if it is only a few hundred rupees more and you want the quieter deck; treat Royal as a treat, not a must. The crossing is short either way.
Book direct
makruzz.com: that is the whole tip
Pick route, date and class, enter passenger details exactly as on the government photo ID you will carry, pay, download the e-ticket. No agent, no aggregator, no markup, and a cleaner cancellation process if plans change.
Cancellations
Date-based refunds
Cancel 15+ days out and you get a full or near-full refund; close to departure means little or nothing back. Weather cancellations by the operator are refunded or rescheduled differently from voluntary ones.
Luggage
Big bags go to the back
Large bags are scanned and stowed at the rear, collected on arrival. Keep valuables, documents and medicines in your cabin bag.
Operators compared
| Operator | Character | Rough fare (₹) | Trade-off |
| Makruzz | Most sailings, most classes | 1,350–1,800+ Premium | Upper-end pricing |
| Nautika | Newest, best-rated service | Similar to Makruzz | Fewer sailings |
| Green Ocean | Budget private, open deck on one vessel | From notably less | Slower (~2h15 on some legs) |
| Government ferry | Cheapest by far | 630–920 | Counter booking, older boats |
Sea-sickness
Most of the year the crossing is smooth. If you are prone, take a tablet 30–45 minutes before boarding, sit low and central on the Premium deck, and avoid staring at your phone. Most people are fine; a minority have a rough half hour.
How early to arrive
At least 45 minutes before departure, a full hour with children, elderly parents or lots of luggage. Gates close 20–30 minutes before sailing and do not wait. Security scan plus bag-drop means the buffer is needed, not padding.
Monsoon reality
Roughly May to September, sailings can be delayed or cancelled at short notice: the single biggest reason to build slack into your plan and never book a same-day ferry-then-flight connection.
The AC is serious
Bring a light layer: the cabin runs cold, and 90 minutes in shorts under the vents is longer than it sounds.
ID at the jetty
Carry the same original photo ID you booked with: Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence. It is checked before boarding.
Makruzz vs Nautika vs Green Ocean vs government
Makruzz: most sailings and class options, dependable, priced at the upper end. Nautika: newest fleet, service often rated highest, priced very close. Green Ocean: the budget private option with a rare open deck, but slower crossings. Government ferry: ₹630–920 Port Blair–Havelock, far cheaper, slower, counter-booked. Rule of thumb: short trip → Makruzz or Nautika booked early; slow and cheap → Green Ocean or the government boat.
Which option for which traveller
First-timers and families: Makruzz Premium, morning sailing, booked direct and early. Couples: Deluxe for the room, Royal as a one-leg treat. Budget travellers: compare Green Ocean and the government ferry first. Anyone with a flight: earlier ferry than you think, ideally a Port Blair night before flying. The circuit logic lives in our 5-day itinerary.
Makruzz is the connective tissue of the classic route: the Day 2 morning boat that starts the beach holiday, the Day 4 hop to Neil, and the Day 5 leg home. Get these three bookings right and the whole Andaman trip clicks into place.
On board
Mid-Oct to Feb
Sri Vijaya Puram
Seasonal only
Ask when booking
Airline-style seats, tinted windows, a cafeteria with drinks and packaged snacks, washrooms, life jackets under the seats and a safety briefing before departure. Uneventful in the best way.
Popular sailings sell out days ahead, especially over Christmas and New Year. Book ferry legs the moment flights are confirmed.
Know Before You Go: Ferry Essentials
- Book direct on makruzz.com: names must match the photo ID you carry
- Arrive 45–60 minutes early; gates close 20–30 minutes before sailing
- Fares exclude 18% GST: budget the checkout number, not the headline
- Never plan a same-day ferry-then-flight out of Port Blair
Where the boat takes you
Havelock first, always: beaches, dives and cafes mapped in our island guide.
Booking pitfalls to avoid
Port Blair was officially renamed Sri Vijaya Puram; tickets and signage mix both names. Same jetty, same city: do not let it confuse a booking.
One route note
For the budget route
Before every leg
Snacks, not meals
Full fare from age 2
Makruzz runs some seasonal Baratang connectivity: check the live schedule; most Baratang trips still go by road convoy.
Crews assist boarding, but jetty ramps and steps vary by tide. Flag reduced mobility at booking and arrive with the full hour’s buffer.
Ten rules for smooth crossings
For most travellers on a short trip: yes. The ₹500–1,000 premium per leg over the government boat buys online booking, reliability, AC comfort and schedules that protect your plans. On a slow budget trip, that calculus flips, and that is fine too.
02 · Getting it right
Names not matching ID (checked at the gate), soft-copy-only tickets (carry a print), forgetting GST in your budget, and the classic: a return ferry booked an hour before a flight. None of these are the ferry’s fault: all of them end trips badly.
Every rule we learned the slightly hard way
All of this covers the tourist islands of the Andaman group. The Nicobar Islands are not open to tourists, so there is no ferry circuit to plan there: any itinerary stays within Andaman.
Book the moment flights confirm
Ferries are the scarce resource of an Andaman trip. Flights first, then these: same day if you can.
1–3 weeks ahead in season
Go direct on makruzz.com
No agent, no aggregator markup, cleaner cancellations, and the live timetable in front of you.
The whole booking tip
Match names to ID exactly
Passenger details are checked against the physical photo ID at the gate. Typos cost boardings.
Aadhaar / passport / DL
Print the tickets
Soft copies are refused often enough to matter. One print per leg, kept with the ID.
Old school, still true
Arrive 45–60 minutes early
Security scan, bag drop, slow queues. Gates close 20–30 minutes before sailing and the boat does not wait.
1 hour with kids/luggage
Take the morning boat
The 8am Port Blair–Havelock sailing buys you the whole island afternoon and a Radhanagar sunset on arrival day.
Best-value 90 minutes
Sit low and central if queasy
Least movement on the lower Premium deck, mid-cabin. Tablet 30–45 minutes before boarding.
Avomine or similar
Layer up for the AC
The cabin runs seriously cold. A light jacket turns the crossing from endurance to nap.
Trust us
Keep valuables with you
Big bags are stowed aft; documents, medicines and electronics stay in the cabin bag on your lap.
Collected on arrival
Never same-day ferry-then-fly
The one rule with no exceptions. Sleep in Port Blair the night before your flight home.
2-hour buffer minimum
If you remember one thing
Ferries before hotels, printed ticket in hand, buffer before flights. That is the whole Makruzz religion.
Havelock is what the crossing buys
Radhanagar, Kalapathar, the dive boats and the cafes: all mapped in the Havelock guide.
The 8am Port Blair → Havelock run
Tickets sell through the Directorate of Shipping counter in Port Blair (and a government portal of varying moods). Queue early, carry ID, and treat the savings as earned.
Premium · Deluxe · Royal
6.45am reach Haddo Wharf → 7.00 security scan, bag drop → 7.30 boarding opens → 7.50 gates close → 8.05 cast off, safety briefing → 8.40 open water, chai from the cafeteria → 9.30 Havelock jetty appears → 9.45 ashore, scooter, beach. Repeat in reverse when it is all sadly over.
A named storm or monsoon surge means reshuffled sailings. Re-confirm the evening before every leg, and let the buffer absorb the rest.
Compare before you default
Nautika sometimes beats Makruzz on service, Green Ocean on price, the government boat on pure economy. Makruzz wins on sailings and flexibility: pick per leg, not by habit.
Where your fare goes
Timetables shift between peak and lean season. Re-confirm each sailing the evening before: operators post current schedules on their sites.
The default
Largest cabin, airline seats, sea views. Enough for 90 minutes.
The quiet deck
~63 seats up top, more legroom, snack on some sailings.
The treat
Eight pushback seats, dedicated staff, a meal. Honeymoon material.
The newer hull
Same classes, fresher fit-out: take it when the timing matches.
The rival
Newest boat on the water, service often rated best, near-identical fares.
The budget classic
₹630–920, slower, counter-booked, and honestly fine if time is loose.
| Class | Seats | Extras | Verdict |
| Premium | 208–262 | Book this | |
| Deluxe | ~63 | Legroom, snack | Nice upgrade |
| Royal | ~8 | Meal, staff | One-leg treat |
| Govt ferry | Varies | Budget play |
The two-jetty note
Private catamarans use Haddo Wharf; government ferries use Phoenix Bay. They are different jetties in Port Blair: check your ticket before telling the auto driver.
Season planner
The boat is the same all year; the Bay of Bengal is not. Calm-season crossings are non-events: monsoon ones are a gamble.
| Window | Seas | Cancellations | Call |
| Nov–Apr | Calm | Rare | Book and relax |
| Oct & May | Mostly fine | Occasional | Keep the buffer |
| Jun–Sep | Rough | Frequent | Flexible plans only |
Morning sailings, February, Premium class, printed tickets. Boring and perfect.
Know before you go
Know before you go
GST is added at checkout, children pay full fare from age 2, infants a token fee, and peak weeks add a small surcharge. Budget the real number, not the headline.
Two jetties
Haddo Wharf for private catamarans, Phoenix Bay for government boats. Check the ticket.
Buffer everything
Two hours ferry-to-flight minimum; a full Port Blair night is better.
Print + ID
Physical ticket, physical ID, names matching. The gate is unsentimental.
Re-confirm timings
Schedules shift seasonally: check the live timetable the evening before each leg.
Keep planning the trip
The rest of the Andaman library: first-hand, commission-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Makruzz ferry ticket cost?
Premium class Port Blair to Havelock runs roughly ₹1,350–1,800 per adult depending on season, plus 18% GST. Havelock–Neil and Neil–Port Blair are a little cheaper; Deluxe and Royal cost more. Check the live fare at booking.
Is Makruzz government or private?
Private: the oldest private high-speed ferry in the Andamans. The government runs separate, cheaper but slower ferries booked through a counter in Port Blair.
Which is better, Nautika or Makruzz?
Both are excellent private catamarans at similar prices. Makruzz has more sailings and class options; Nautika is newer and often praised for onboard service. Pick on schedule convenience and availability.
How do I book Makruzz tickets?
Directly at makruzz.com: choose route, date, travellers and class, enter details matching your photo ID, pay and download the e-ticket. Book several days ahead in peak season (October to February).
How early should I reach the jetty for Makruzz?
At least 45 minutes before departure, and a full hour with children, elderly travellers or heavy luggage. Boarding gates close 20–30 minutes before sailing.
Does Makruzz get cancelled, and what about sea-sickness?
Sailings can be delayed or cancelled in rough weather, especially May–September, so never plan a same-day ferry-then-flight. For sea-sickness, take a tablet 30–45 minutes before boarding and sit low and central.
How long does Makruzz take from Port Blair to Havelock?
About 1.5 hours. Havelock to Neil is around 1 hour and Neil back to Port Blair about 1.25 hours.
What are the Makruzz classes?
Premium (the big lower-deck cabin, what most people book), Deluxe (smaller upper deck, more legroom, snack on some sailings) and Royal (an 8-seat private cabin with staff and a meal).
Which jetty does Makruzz leave from?
Haddo Wharf in Port Blair. Government ferries use Phoenix Bay: a different jetty, so check your ticket before setting out.
Can I take luggage on Makruzz?
Yes. Large bags are scanned and stowed at the rear of the ferry and collected on arrival; keep valuables, documents and medicines in a cabin bag.
Do children pay full fare on Makruzz?
Children aged two and above pay the full adult fare; infants of one year and under travel for a token fee of about ₹30.
What ID do I need to board?
The same original government photo ID used at booking (Aadhaar, passport, voter ID or driving licence) plus a printed ticket. Soft copies are sometimes refused.
What is the Makruzz refund policy?
Date-based: cancelling 15+ days before travel earns a full or near-full refund; close to departure, little or nothing. Operator weather cancellations are refunded or rescheduled separately.
Is the government ferry a good alternative?
For budget travellers, yes, ₹630–920 Port Blair to Havelock. It is slower, older and counter-booked, but perfectly serviceable when time is flexible.
Does Makruzz sail in the monsoon?
It tries, but May to September sailings face delays and cancellations at short notice. Build buffer days and keep plans loose in those months.
Is there food on board?
A small cafeteria sells hot and cold drinks and packaged snacks. It is a 90-minute crossing: eat properly before or after.
Can seniors and wheelchair users travel comfortably?
Yes, with planning: crews assist boarding, but ramps and steps vary by tide. Mention reduced mobility when booking and arrive with a full hour’s buffer.
Makruzz or Green Ocean for budget travellers?
Green Ocean’s economy fares start meaningfully lower and one vessel has a rare open deck, at the cost of a slower crossing. If every rupee counts, compare both before defaulting to Makruzz.
Does Makruzz go to Baratang or Nicobar?
Some seasonal Baratang connectivity exists: check the live schedule. Nicobar, no: the Nicobar Islands are closed to tourists entirely.
Sources & references
- 1Makruzz official siteMakruzz · makruzz.com
- 2Makruzz ferry bookingGo2Andaman · go2andaman.com
- 3Makruzz ferriesEternal Andamans · eternalandamans.com
- 4Best ferry service between the Andaman islands: a comparisonAdventure Andaman · adventureandaman.com
Cross-checked against Makruzz (official), Go2Andaman, Eternal Andamans and Adventure Andaman, plus our own crossings.
Carousel photographs: Vinayaraj (CC BY-SA 4.0); Yercaud-elango (CC BY-SA 4.0); Harvinder Chandigarh (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
On this page
Paul
Founder · Offbeat Peak
Our roughest crossing was twenty minutes of swell south of Havelock: the boat shrugged, a kid across the aisle cheered at every bump, and the chai stayed in its cup. The twin hull earns its keep. Book the morning boat and you will barely notice the sea at all.