Originally Posted by
dabee69
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. I've flown ZNZ-DAR and didn't like it. I am considering ferry for the next trip.
Would you recommend buying tickets online in advance?
How much time does the navigating from entrance to the actual boarding take?
If buying tickets at the terminal, are cash USD accepted?
How much does a porter cost and/or shall be tipped?
I got the tickets (USD) the day before from the smart ticket office at the port. It's a sizeable "blue" building which also serves as the pre-embarcation waiting room. The sales girl was very helpful in explaining how things work.
Going down to the port and ticket office was all part of a relaxed tour of the city on foot.
There are a number of touts trying to sell tickets. Arriving on foot, without baggage, attracts less attention
Porters will introduce themselves
They ask for TZS5000, about $3, each porter. I was happy to meet the request, though it's way over the local rate. Insist your porter carries all the bags, or you'll end up paying a porter for each bag. They will ease you through any boarding bottle-necks and officialdom.
Bags travel with you. In the F-class cabin the porter will store them at the back of the cabin.
When you dock at Zanzibar, porters will board and ask for similar amounts to assist you. Ours waited with the bags while we negotiated the visa business at the port, then helped us find and load the taxi.
It's not a difficult or overly stressful process. Have fun!