Getting ashore
Richards Bay is usually a dock stop.
Most ships dock at Richards Bay, which usually makes the day simpler: walk off the ship, meet your tour, and get back on board without tender queues.
South Africa
Richards Bay Cruise Port
Richards Bay is a long port day with regular dockside arrivals and lighter cruise traffic during the warmer months.
Usually docks
Usually quiet
~10h typical visit
Smaller ships
What to expect in Richards Bay
How much time will you have?
About 10h is typical
Most cruises spend 10h to 11h 30m in Richards Bay, which makes it a relatively long port day compared with many stops.
How busy does Richards Bay get?
This is usually a quieter cruise stop.
Multiple ships overlap on roughly 0% of days, so most dates should feel manageable.
- Typical day: ~350 passengers
- Busy day: 600+ passengers
- Multiple ships on 0% of days
Check your date
October 2026
Jump
Quieter
Busier
Ships
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Where Richards Bay fits into a cruise
Richards Bay is most commonly visited on South Africa itineraries, often alongside Durban and Mamoudzou .
Commonly arrives from
Richards Bay
Commonly continues to
When to cruise to Richards Bay
Cruise ships visit during 6 months of the year.
Cruise visits are concentrated in a few busier months, so month choice can change both ship choice and crowd levels.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Visits
0
0
11
1
3
1
0
0
0
0
2
6
Who sails here?
Ships visiting Richards Bay typically carry around 398 guests, with HANSEATIC spirit, Le Dumont Durville, and Europa 2 calling most often.
Most frequently visiting ships
- 1 HANSEATIC spirit 2 calls
- 2 Le Dumont Durville 2 calls
- 3 Europa 2 1 call
- 4 Silver Dawn 1 call
Next port calls
Nov 21 HANSEATIC spirit
Dec 15 HANSEATIC spirit
Dec 18 Le Dumont Durville
Dec 19 Le Dumont Durville
Apr 5 Silver Dawn