Guide
The perfect stop before or after a Cape Town cruise
The Cape Town Cruise Terminal sits in the working harbour beside the V&A Waterfront, a short hop from the apartment at 1 Dockrail Road. If you're sailing out of Cape Town — or stepping off a ship with a day to fill before your flight — this is about as convenient a base as the city offers: a quiet one-bedroom apartment on the canal, with the terminal, the Waterfront and the airport road all within easy reach.
Getting to the terminal
The terminal is in the port precinct on the Waterfront side of the Foreshore — a few minutes by car or e-hailing from the building, and walkable for anyone travelling light. Because the apartment is on the canal, you can also take the water taxi from the door across to the Waterfront and spend your last hours ashore among the shops and restaurants before boarding.
When the ships come in
Cape Town's cruise season runs through the southern summer, roughly September to April, and it is busy: in the 2024/25 season the terminal had welcomed 44 vessel visits and more than 80,000 passengers and crew by late February alone, with March scheduled for 24 visits — ships carrying anywhere from under 200 to well over 5,000 passengers. Sailings connect Cape Town with Durban, Gqeberha and Mossel Bay along the South African coast, and with Europe, Namibia and Kenya further afield.
Vessels that have called here recently include:
- MSC Musica
- Costa Smeralda
- Costa Deliziosa
- Silver Dawn
- Swan Hellenic Diana
- Europa
- Arcadia
- Zuiderdam
- AIDAprima
- Bolette
Season figures and ship names from the V&A Waterfront's neighbourhood newsroom. Schedules change, so check with your cruise line for current dates.
Practical notes for cruise guests
Arrive the day before
Most ships board in the late morning or early afternoon, and check-in queues build quickly on busy days. Staying a night in the Foreshore means no early flight, no traffic gamble and a relaxed walk or five-minute drive to the terminal.
Easy with luggage
The apartment has a secure parking bay for one car and 24-hour security at the building, so a taxi or e-hailing car can collect you at the door with your cases. Disembarking guests can do the same in reverse and settle in before an evening flight.
Time your day around the port
On days when several ships are in, the Waterfront is at its liveliest — the shops, Makers Landing food hall and harbour restaurants all fill up. Booking dinner ahead is worth it when a big vessel is alongside.
What's on around the harbour
A day either side of a cruise is easily filled. The V&A Waterfront has the Zeitz MOCAA museum and daily art tours at the Silo District, Makers Landing for local food producers, and a run of celebrated restaurants — Pier, Marble, Coy and the Tashas group among the recent award winners. The Table Bay Hotel is being reborn as the InterContinental Table Bay, part of a steady upgrade of the precinct. Robben Island ferries, Table Mountain and the Company's Garden are all within a short ride.
A calm night before you sail
A private one-bedroom apartment at Harbour Bridge, with a rooftop pool, on-site restaurant, secure parking and the canal water taxi at the door — minutes from the cruise terminal.
Also worth reading: what's walkable from Harbour Bridge · getting here from the airport.