Hello,
@Thiro. Welcome to the forum!
Passenger ships plying to Lakshadweep leave from the Cochin Port. Cochin Port itself is located quite close to the city centre of Cochin. If however, you come from further places like Aluva, Vyttila or MG Road, there are buses plying from these places to Thoppumpady. From Thoppumpady, you can just walk the remaining distance, which is merely seven minutes away from the Cochin Port. Here are a few buses plying through these places and reaching Thoppumpady:
Buses from Cochin to Cochin Fort
| Bus Number | Departure from Airport | Arrival in Destination | Route Covered |
| JNK19 | 6:25 | 8:25 | Airport, Aluva, MG Road, Thoppumpady & Fort Cochin |
| JNK1 | 7:50 | 9:25 | Airport, Aluva, Vyttila,Thoppumpady & Fort Cochin |
| JNK2 | 9:30 | 11:05 | Airport, Aluva, Vyttila,Thoppumpady & Fort Cochin |
| JNK3 | 9:55 | 11:30 | Airport, Aluva, Vyttila,Thoppumpady & Fort Cochin |
| JNK14 | 13:00 | 14:35 | Airport, Aluva, Vyttila,Thoppumpady & Fort Cochin |
So as you can see, the buses depart from the airport and passes by different places. If you reside in any of these places or near it, you just need to reach the bus stand and board the bus from there. Then, you need to be dropped off at Thoppumpady, before the bus reaches the Cochin Fort. You just need to cross the bridge and you can easily see the Cochin Port from there.
Once you reach the Cochin Port, you need to go to the Indira Gandhi Road and find the Cochin Office of the Administrative Officer. You can get your permit here for visiting the islands and also your tickets for ship journey. It is best to go to the Lakshadweep website for the official schedules of the different ships but for the months of October and November, here are some of the schedules though:
MV Arabian Sea Ship Schedules (Cochin Port to Kavaratti)
| Date | Timing |
| November 1 | 14:00 |
| November 3 | 7:00 |
| November 6 | 14:00 |
| November 8 | 8:00 |
| November 10 | 14:00 |
| November 12 | 8:00 |
| November 15 | 14:00 |
| November 17 | 8:00 |
| November 19 | 15:00 |
| November 21 | 8:00 |
| November 24 | 14:00 |
| November 26 | 8:00 |
MV Corals Ship Schedules (Cochin Port to Kavaratti)
| Date | Timing |
| October 24 | 13:00 |
| October 27 | 8:00 |
| October 29 | 13:00 |
| November 1 | 8:00 |
| November 3 | 16:00 |
| November 6 | 8:00 |
| November 8 | 14:00 |
| November 11 | 7:00 |
| November 14 | 17:00 |
| November 17 | 7:00 |
| November 19 | 12:00 |
| November 22 | 7:00 |
As you can see, ship schedules are not that regular and you need to fit your vacation schedule within these dates. Just check the official Lakshadweep Tourism website for a complete list of the ship schedules. For the ship fares, they also vary depending on the ship and class of ticket. For the MV Arabian Sea, here are the fare rates:
MV Arabian Sea Fares (Cochin Port to Kavaratti)
| Class | Fare |
| First Class I | Rs. 2,030 |
| First Class II | Rs. 2,990 |
| First Class III | Rs. 2,980 |
| Second Class I | Rs. 580 |
| Second Class II | Rs. 970 |
| Second Class III | Rs. 970 |
| Bunk I | Rs. 200 |
| Bunk II | Rs. 380 |
| Bunk III | Rs. 380 |
There are also other classes like VIP and Ladies but their rates are higher so I didn't include them. Anyway, these are passenger ships so there's limited on-board entertainment. You need to bring your own gadgets like tablets or music players in case you get bored along the way. These rates are not yet inclusive of meals so you have to take that into account.
You can also avail of the SPORTS packages, which are all inclusive packages. The SPORTS tour operator is under the government's management as well. With their packages, the accommodation (either in the ship or at a resort), the sightseeing, island hopping and meals are already included. One of their best packages is the Samudram Package, where you get to tour three islands during the day, as well as indulge in water sports like snorkelling and scuba diving and stay in the ship during the night. This package costs Rs. 25,000 for adults and Rs. 18,000 for children. It's a five-day cruise/tour starting from Cochin. This is the contact number of the SPORTS tour operator: +91 484 266 6789.
I hope this helps you even a bit.
