I took an African cruise. Here are four lessons learned and two mistakes I made

Most people dream about cruising through the Caribbean’s turquoise waters, marveling at Alaska’s glaciers, or sipping wine along the sun-soaked Mediterranean coast. But for travelers with a more adventurous spirit, there’s a whole world beyond the usual cruise routes, like taking an African cruise.

I’ve always loved cruising to far-flung destinations. You can’t beat the convenience of unpacking once and waking up in a new country every day. This keeps me coming back for more cruises each year.

Last year, I set out on a truly unique itinerary: a 12-night cruise to Africa, visiting Mauritius, Madagascar, and the coast of South Africa. This South African cruise was with Norwegian Cruise Line, one of the few mainstream cruise lines that offers itineraries to the continent. Most people don’t realize you can cruise to Africa!

My Norwegian Africa cruise turned out to be one of the most eye-opening itineraries I’ve ever taken. Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons that helped me make the most of the experience — and I made a few mistakes too.

If you’re thinking about cruising to Africa, here’s what I wish I had known ahead of time.

Lessons I learned cruising to Africa

Cruising to Africa is entirely different than anywhere else in the world. I prepared extensively for this trip, and appreciated the convenience of cruising. This meant I could focus more on planning our daily agendas instead of worrying about logistics and transportation.

Here are the 4 biggest lessons I learned during this African cruise. 

1. Getting there is exhausting — prepare accordingly

I’ve flown to Europe more times than I can count and thought I was prepared for long-haul travel. But flying to Mauritius? That was on another level.

The travel time was grueling, with multiple long-haul flights and extended layovers. Even with travel experience under my belt, I arrived feeling jet-lagged and depleted.

If you’re cruising from Africa, give yourself at least a day or two to rest and adjust before your cruise departs. Some guests were delayed due to a nearby cyclone; thankfully, we arrived right after the storm left.

Between jet lag and potential logistical issues, you should have a few buffer days. If your schedule allows, you could consider a stopover in Europe to break up the long travel. Trust me, your future self will thank you — especially if your embarkation process is chaotic or delayed (more on that later).

2. Booking excursions through the cruise line was a smart move

Normally, I like to mix independent exploration with the occasional cruise-sponsored tour. I also don’t normally book excursions for every port, as I appreciate having flexibility for my plans each day.

But in Africa, booking with the cruise line ended up being a huge advantage. Not only did we have peace of mind knowing we’d be back before the ship sailed, but we also got priority disembarkation in busy ports.

This was especially helpful in places where immigration procedures were slow and disorganized. In one port, we were able to skip a massive, chaotic line simply because we had a cruise line tour booked. If I’d tried to go it alone, I would’ve lost precious hours in port just trying to clear customs.

I spent more than $1,000 booking excursions through Norwegian Cruise Line – and it was totally worth it. 

3. You don’t need to visit Kruger National Park to have a great safari

South Africa is world-famous for its safaris, and Kruger National Park is often at the top of travelers’ lists. It’s hard to imagine traveling to South Africa for safaris and not visiting the most renowned parks. But we didn’t make the trek to Kruger — and I don’t feel like we missed out.

Instead, we explored smaller, lesser-known game reserves near the coastal regions, and they were absolutely incredible. We saw the Big Five, enjoyed intimate safari experiences, and had knowledgeable local guides without the crowds or lengthy travel times.

I would have never considered visiting some of these smaller port cities, such as Mossel Bay and Port Elizabeth. These alternative safari options made it easy to enjoy wildlife without straying too far from the ship.

4. Planning every port during our African cruise paid off

Africa is a bucket-list destination for many reasons, and I didn’t want to waste a single day onboard wondering what to do.

I spent months researching each port, reading reviews, booking tours, and mapping out our ideal days. We decided to book an excursion for each port to ensure we optimized our time in these remote destinations. 

And honestly? That effort made a world of difference. We never felt overwhelmed or unsure about how to spend our time. Every port brought new adventures, and we made the most of each one — from seeing lemurs in Madagascar to taking daily safaris throughout South Africa.

A little prep work went a long way for an African cruise. 

Mistakes I made along the way

An African cruise is unlike any other itinerary I’ve sailed. It’s not Europe and it’s not the Caribbean — and you have to be mentally prepared for that. Even as much as I prepared, I still made a few mistakes during our sailing.

1. I didn’t set the right expectations

When we arrived in Mauritius to board the ship, we found ourselves standing in a sweltering parking lot under a makeshift tent, sweating profusely while waiting to board. The long line outside of the tent was shocking, and there was no place to drop luggage.

In addition, there was no shiny cruise terminal, no air-conditioned lounge, and no streamlined check-in process. It was chaotic and uncomfortable — and it totally threw me off. Some older people were fainting from heat exhaustion!

Once onboard, I quickly realized that infrastructure in this part of the world can be inconsistent. Delays can happen — this is all part of traveling. Port processes aren’t always smooth in Africa, as the continent operates at its own pace. Having flexible expectations and a go-with-the-flow attitude would have made the experience less stressful.

Even though I was prepared for some challenges, I was still surprised by some of the lack of planning on the cruise line’s part. For instance, the boarding in Mauritius should have been better streamlined with more tiered boarding times. 

Finally, there was an emotional component of visiting Africa. Some of the poverty was unlike anything I could have prepared for. While I anticipated this, I found the cruise to be more emotional than expected. I returned from this cruise feeling grateful with a renewed perspective. This is what travel is all about, and it’s so important for me to experience these moments. 

2. I wasn’t prepared for itinerary changes

It’s not unusual for cruises to adjust itineraries — weather and logistical issues happen. But in Africa, itinerary changes seem to be far more common than elsewhere, and I wasn’t fully prepared for that.

Not to mention, Norwegian Cruise Line seems to be notorious for changing itineraries at the last minute or right after final payment.

During our cruise, we had to skip Mozambique entirely due to port congestion issues. This was canceled right after we made our final payment. While some theorized this was due to safety reasons, Norwegian Cruise Line never admitted this.

Even worse, we missed one of our planned stops in Madagascar, which was heartbreaking. I’m not sure if I’ll ever visit Madagascar again, so missing one of our two ports was very disappointing. 

These kinds of changes are sometimes unavoidable, especially in developing cruise regions. If I had gone in with more flexibility and fewer fixed expectations, I would have handled the disappointment a bit better. It’s a good reminder to focus on what you do get to experience rather than what you miss.

Cruising to Africa isn’t for the faint of heart — but that’s what made it special

Taking an African cruise pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I felt immersed in the African culture with unique experiences that I wouldn’t have otherwise. An African cruise rewards you with jaw-dropping wildlife, rich cultural experiences, and some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world.

I came away from my African cruise with incredible memories and a deeper understanding of the region — along with a few lessons and mistakes I’ll carry with me on future trips.

If you’re a seasoned traveler looking for your next big adventure, don’t overlook cruising to Africa. Just pack your patience, plan ahead, and keep an open mind — the rewards are more than worth it.