Guides
Indian Ocean Islands Cruise: Mauritius, Réunion, Madagascar and Seychelles
At a glance
- Route pattern: Seychelles (Mahé) to Madagascar (usually Nosy Be) to Réunion to Mauritius, or the same loop in reverse. Real sailings vary, so confirm on your cruise line's itinerary page.
- Length: Typically 9 to 14 nights on this kind of loop. Check your booking.
- Best months: The islands are in the southern hemisphere's summer cyclone season from roughly November to April, so many shoppers aim for the drier cooler months. Confirm each line's season on its official page.
- Entry rules (as of 2026-10-20): Seychelles needs a Travel Authorization (€10.90 ≈ $12 on the State Department page); Mauritius needs an online arrival form; Madagascar requires a visa. Details in the full guide.
- Safety: State Department advisories: Mauritius Level 2, Madagascar Level 2, Seychelles Level 1, France (which includes Réunion as a French department) Level 2.
- Money: Four currencies across the route. Your ship bills in its own currency. Carry a small amount of local cash only.
- Docs: Passport valid for the whole stay at a minimum; Madagascar asks for 6 months beyond arrival.
Three free things
- Walk Victoria's market area on Mahé. A small capital you can cover on foot in a morning, with no ticket needed. Check opening days on the Seychelles tourism site.
- Stroll the Jardin de l'État in Saint-Denis, Réunion. Réunion's official tourism site recommends it as a quiet garden in the city centre. Confirm hours with the city before you go.
- Watch the harbour from the deck at Port Louis. Arrivals and departures with the mountains behind the city cost nothing, and it is among the best free views of the trip.
Rough cost, three ways
Never trust a number you read here for a specific sailing. Fill the blanks from the official pages named.
| Style | Cabin per person (cruise line sailing page) | Flights (airline site / award chart) | Pre/post hotel nights | Ship extras (packages, gratuities, excursions) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $____ | $____ | $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Points-heavy | $____ taxes and fees | ____ points + $____ | ____ points + $____ | $____ | $____ |
| Shoestring | $____ (cheapest cabin class) | $____ | $____ (one night) | $____ (DIY ashore) | $____ |
Taxes, port fees and gratuities are quoted on the cruise line's booking page. Fill the "fees" blank from the line's own fare breakdown.
What to know before you pay
Visas and forms. Madagascar requires a visa; per the State Department you can apply in advance through the Madagascar Embassy or get one on arrival, tourist visas valid 90 days, and the page does not list the fee, so confirm it with the Embassy of Madagascar (checked Oct 20, 2026). Mauritius needs no visa for stays of 60 days or less, but you must complete the All-in-One Travel Digital Form within 72 hours before arrival (checked Oct 20, 2026). Cruise passengers are often handled through the ship; ask the line what it files for you.
Seychelles. All travelers must apply for a Travel Authorization up to 30 days before arrival, €10.90 ≈ $12, at seychelles.govtas.com or the E-Border app, and it asks for flight and accommodation confirmations (checked Oct 20, 2026). If you are boarding there, apply for it; if you are only a port call, ask your line whether it covers this.
Health. Yellow fever vaccination rules apply to travelers coming from countries with transmission risk. Tap water in Mauritius is not safe to drink. Medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended by the State Department for Mauritius. Rabies is common in Madagascar. See your travel clinic.
Cruise caveat. Itineraries, port calls, tender operations and fees can change after booking because of weather and local conditions; as of 2026-10-20, confirm on your cruise line's page or in the line's app before you sail.
Is the full guide for you?
The full guide gives you a day-by-day plan with clock times, how to reach each pier, ship excursion versus DIY math for each port, a points chapter for flights and hotels, a cost sheet, and printable one-page days. It is $4.99.
What is not worth it in the lite version: do not pay for an early "all-in" excursion package on every island. Pick one big day, and keep the rest simple.
Quick route sketch
A typical loop looks like this. It is a pattern, not a sailing.
- Day 1, Mahé, Seychelles: Board in the afternoon. Sail-away on deck.
- Days 2 and 3, at sea: Your recovery days. Book spa and specialty dining early.
- Day 4, Nosy Be, Madagascar: Often a tender port. Bring the visa sorted out, a hat and small bills.
- Days 5 and 6, at sea.
- Day 7, Réunion: A French department, with volcanic mountains and a very French lunch.
- Day 8, Mauritius: Port Louis, a busy city port with a waterfront market area.
- Days 9 and 10, at sea, then back to Mahé for disembarkation on day 11.
Five mistakes to skip
- Booking a flight that lands the same day the ship sails. Land at least one night early.
- Assuming one currency works everywhere. It does not.
- Booking five private tours without checking the all-aboard time. Late back means the ship may leave without you, and the next port is a flight away.
- Skipping travel insurance. Care in Madagascar and the smaller Seychelles islands is limited per the State Department pages, and evacuation is the expensive part.
- Reading a blog's price as a quote. Fares change daily. Use the cruise line's page.
Pre-trip checklist
- Passport expiry checked against the longest rule on your route (Madagascar: 6 months beyond arrival).
- Seychelles Travel Authorization done if required for you.
- Mauritius All-in-One form within 72 hours of arrival if you will land there.
- Insurance with medical evacuation.
- Yellow fever status checked with a clinic.
- A card that does not charge foreign transaction fees, and a backup card.
This is the free lite guide. The full day-by-day guide, with maps, photo stops, rain plans and the points playbook, is part of PerkJolt All-Access.