Plan your voyage
Everything before all aboard
Documents, visas, getting to the ship from Abuja, what to pack and how money works on board. Your host walks you through it, and this page keeps it in one place.
Countdown
From booking to boarding
- When you bookDeposit paid, a host calls within a working day. Send passport copies in My voyages.
- 90 days beforeLast day for a free date change. We send visa letters where needed.
- 60 days beforeBalance due. Choose your dinner sitting and book Kola and the spa.
- 14 days beforeBoarding passes, luggage tags and your pickup time appear in My voyages.
- Sailing dayArrive between 1pm and 3pm. Luggage goes to your room while you have lunch on deck.
Documents
Passports and visas
For Nigerian passport holders. Guests with other passports receive their own checklist after booking.
| Voyage | Nigerian passport | Other passports |
|---|---|---|
| Lagos weekend at sea | Passport only | Passport only |
| Gulf of Guinea classic | None, ECOWAS | Benin, Togo, Ghana: check by nationality |
| Atlantic isles | Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé letters, we prepare them | Check by nationality |
| Senegambia and Cape Verde | None for Senegal and Gambia; Cape Verde online form | Check by nationality |
| Swahili coast | Tanzania and Kenya e-visas | Check by nationality |
| Cape and the Namib coast | South Africa visa, Namibia on arrival | Check by nationality |
Passports must be valid for six months after you sail. A yellow fever card is needed on every voyage. Example guidance for this demo; rules can change.
Getting there
From Abuja to the gangway
Most of our guests live in Abuja. Our air and transfer package is ₦185,000 per guest: a morning flight to Lagos, a host at arrivals and a car to the terminal, timed to miss the worst of the Third Mainland Bridge traffic.
- Abuja pickup from Gwarinpa, Maitama, Wuse and Asokoro from 5.30am
- Lagos pickups from Lekki and Ikoyi at 11am, before the afternoon jams
- Free parking at the terminal for the length of the voyage
- Dakar, Zanzibar and Cape Town: flights included, with a travelling host
Packing
What to bring, what to leave
Papers
Passport, yellow fever card, visa letters, insurance details and a printed copy of your boarding pass.
Days
Light clothes, a hat, sunglasses, sandals and walking shoes for ports. Swimwear for the pools.
Evenings
Smart casual. One dressy outfit for the captain's evening on longer voyages, if you like.
Health
Your regular medicines in their boxes, sunscreen and insect repellent. The medical centre has the basics.
Luggage
Two suitcases per guest on board. Flights may have their own limits; check your ticket.
Leave at home
Irons, candles, extension cables and anything that looks like a weapon. Steamers are in every suite.
Money on board
Your room key is your wallet
No cash needed on board. Settle your account at the end by card, bank transfer through Receivly or POS at guest services. We show every charge in naira, with dollars alongside.
Ashore, our hosts change naira to CFA francs, cedi and dollars at fair example rates on the morning of each port day.
Insurance
We ask every guest to have travel insurance that covers medical care at sea and cancellation. Our hosts can suggest policies; we do not sell them.
Questions
Planning questions
Can I bring my own food?
Sealed snacks are fine. Please leave home cooking at home; our kitchens will cook you a pot of anything you miss.
What if my flight from Abuja is late?
If you are on our air package, we wait or fly you to the next port at our cost. If you booked your own flight, tell your host and we will help.
Is there a pharmacy on board?
The medical centre keeps everyday remedies. Bring your own prescriptions in their original boxes with a letter from your doctor.
Ready when you are
Your cabin is waiting. Shall we plan it together?
Sit with a voyage host in Gwarinpa, call, or book online in about four minutes.