Ghogha to Hazira via Roro ferry - a cruise experience in Gujarat

On our 2 weeks Gujarat road trip, after covering almost all the destinations that we wanted to visit, we finally commuted from Bhavnagar to Surat. There are two ways to commute from Bhavnagar to Surat –

Via road – which takes around 6 hours
Via the gulf of Khambhat – a narrow stretch of the sea that separates Bhavnagar and Surat.

After doing a long road trip, we decided to try the sea route to commute from Bhavnagar to Surat.
There are ferries operated by Roro company that take passengers and their vehicle onboard to commute via Gulf of Khambhat.

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Ports along the Gulf of Khambhat

The port nearest to Bhavnagar is Ghogha which is located around 15km from the main town of Bhavnagar.

And the port near Surat is called Hazira.

Timings of RoRo Ferry from Ghogha to Hazira

From Ghogha to Hazira, two Roro ferries operate daily, one in the morning around 8:00am and another in the noon around 2:00pm.

And overall, it takes around 4 hour 45 minutes to complete the journey.

Tickets for RoRo Ferry from Ghogha to Hazira

The tickets for RoRo ferry can be booked online. The window for booking the tickets opens 1 month in advance.

There are 2-3 different classes of cabins. Whose ticket prices vary a bit. You can book one as per your choice.

Online Booking: Visit the official DG Sea Connect website: dgferry.com

Ticket prices :

Executive Class – INR 600/- per head
Sleeper Class – INR 700/- per head
Business Class – INR 800/- per head
Cambay Lounge – INR 1700/- per head
Room/Cabin (Private) – INR 6000/-

For a car, the transfer charges are INR 1000/- at the time of this writing.

Rules for taking a ride from Ghogha to Hazira via RoRo Ferry

One must reach the port at least 1 hour in advance
Food items are strictly not allowed on the ferry. There will be a luggage check, and any food items will be confiscated.
All passengers must carry a valid ID proof for validation and a copy of the ticket booked. Without which boarding the ferry will be denied.
To identify the “class” of your booking, you will be provided a wrist band at the port before embarking on the ferry, You must have this wrist band put on all through your journey.

Our experience going from Ghoga to Hazira via RoRo Ferry

Since we also wanted to experience going from Ghoga to Hazira via RoRo Ferry. So, we booked our tickets in advance for the 6 of us and our car. We reached Bhavnagar the day before in the evening after our trip to Gir National Park Gujarat. Since, we booked the early morning 8:00am ferry from Ghogha.

The day of the trip, we started around 6:30am from our hotel. And reached the port of Ghogha by 7:00am. There are enough sign boards along the way to guide you.

Upon reaching the port, we drove through the gates wherein our tickets were checked, wrist bands provided. And then we stood in the queue of cars to board the ferry. Right at 8:00am, the cars started moving onto the ship.

Our cabinet on the trip from Ghogha to Hazira via Roro ferry

One by one, the cars entered the ramp and parked at the base level. We deboarded our car and took the stairs to the first level where our cabins lied. We got our seats in the cabin and got seated. It was all hassle free.

In a while everyone started ordering breakfast from the small pantry provided inside the cabin itself. Options included sandwiches, bread butter, bread jam, some ready to eat items like samosas and vadas. And beverages like tea and coffee. Drinking water bottle was also available.

Also at the rear of the cabin were washrooms.

Upper deck on the Ghogha to Hazira RoRo Ferry

Once the Ghogha to Hazira RoRo Ferry started, the passengers could go upstairs on the upper deck. Here, on the upper deck there are chairs to sit and enjoy the sea breeze. Most of the people in our cabin slowly moved out to the upper deck. We also went to the upper deck.

Overall experience traveling from Ghogha to Hazira via RoRo Ferry

Other than moving to the upper deck, there was nothing much on the RoRo Ferry to do. I had seen some videos of other RoRo Ferries wherein there were play areas for kids, a proper restaurant with seating and much more space to move around. But looks like the ferry that was alotted to us in the morning didn’t have any of those facilities. Although the charges we paid remained the same 🙁

So, after a while we were bored of inactivity 🙂 and there was not much change of scenery also like how it happens on a road trip.

Also, I didn’t find the cleanliness up to the mark. The ferry was old. There was water sipping all along the pathway that led to the cabinets. The floors and washrooms could have been cleaner.

So, overall, I was a little disappointed on the experience.

Also, if you are traveling from Bhavnagar to Surat in your own vehicle, perhaps it will be faster for you to take the road trip itself. Since, while the ferry time is 4 hours 45 minutes, you need to reach the port 1 hour in advance. And the debarking also takes time. So, overall it becomes a 7 hours journey. Price wise, the ticket prices almost come equivalent to the fuel price you would pay on a road trip.

If I were an option to take this route the next time, I would take the road trip than the trip from Ghogha to Hazira via RoRo Ferry. This is my personal opinion. And I understand it might vary for others. Overall, if you must take this experience, I suggest enquire with their customer care in advance which is the bigger ferry with more options to enjoy. And book that one.