Cruise Ship Handling
Destination management for cruise calls at Freetown, from arrival coordination to shore programmes.
Cruise handling
Cruise Ship Handling
Call Freetown with confidence. Tourism Is Life is your Sierra Leone cruise desk — shore excursions, turnaround services, destination services, and 24-hour support.
Tourism Is Life assists cruise lines and operators with shore programmes, ground transport, and destination services in Sierra Leone. Every programme is timed to ship schedules and confirmed per call.
Emergency / operations
A 24-hour contact is provided once a request is confirmed. For urgent port matters, contact the operations officer: Sonia Koroma. Travel director: Alieya A. Kargbo.
Overview
Cruise services in Sierra Leone
A full-service DMC for cruise calls at Freetown — from arrival coordination to shore programmes and turnaround support.
Shore Excursions
Six primary shore programmes covering the city, heritage islands, rainforest, wildlife, and peninsula beaches.
Overland Journeys
Overland experiences beyond the immediate quay, arranged as part of cruise destination services.
Turnaround Services
Turnaround support for cruise calls, coordinated with the liner’s agent and ground operations.
Destination Services
Transportation, tours, excursions, hotels, and related destination services as a full-service DMC.
24-Hour Support
Once a request is confirmed, a 24-hour contact person is provided for the call.
Why Tourism Is Life
Local expertise, international standards
A locally owned and managed destination management company with the experience to handle cruise calls safely and professionally.
Established in 2013
Tourism Is Life Tours is a destination management company established in 2013.
100% locally owned and managed
The company is 100% locally owned and managed.
Experienced travel/tourism staff
Qualified travel and tourism staff and guides with extensive travel and tourism experience.
Cruise ship handling
Dedicated cruise ship handling as part of the company’s DMC services.
Full-service DMC
Transportation, tours, excursions, hotels, and related destination services.
International customer base
Serves an international customer base.
Shore excursions
Explore shore excursions
Six primary shore programmes covering Freetown, heritage islands, rainforest, wildlife, and peninsula beaches — timed to ship schedules.
Compare & filter
Experience and activity tags are filters derived from the proposal descriptions, not extra product claims.
- $60 pp
Freetown
Freetown City Tour
A guided city programme covering major historical and cultural attractions in Freetown.
Stops described in the proposal include the Cotton Tree, National Museum, Maroon Church, Railway Museum, market, and Old Fourah Bay College.
- Group
- 120–500 people
- Departure
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Included
- Air-conditioned bus
- Experienced driver
- English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing
- Lunch
$75 ppBunce Island
Bunce Island & Tasso Island
A heritage excursion to Bunce Island and Tasso Island on the Sierra Leone River.
The experience includes both Bunce Island and Tasso Island.
- Group
- 25–75 people
- Departure
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Included
- Air-conditioned bus
- Experienced driver
- English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing
- Lunch
$65 ppTacugama
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
A rainforest sanctuary visit with a guided tour and chimpanzee-related activities.
The proposal describes a rainforest sanctuary experience, a guided tour, and chimpanzee-related activities.
- Group
- 30–200 people
- Departure
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Included
- Air-conditioned bus
- Experienced driver
- English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing
- Lunch
$90 ppBanana Island
Banana Island
A coastal island day with water activities and a seafood lunch on the beach.
Activities described include diving, snorkelling, paddle boating, swimming, and relaxation.
- Group
- 120–200 people
- Departure
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Included
- Air-conditioned bus
- Experienced driver
- English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing
- Seafood lunch on the beach
$85 ppRiver No. 2
Bird Watching
Rainforest birding on a trail that ends at River No. 2 beach.
The experience includes rainforest birding and a trail ending at River No. 2 beach.
- Group
- 12–25 people
- Departure
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Included
- Air-conditioned bus
- Experienced driver
- English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing
- Lunch
- $65 pp
Peninsula beaches
Peninsula Beaches
A peninsula beach programme with sport, water, and community activities.
Activities described include surfing, beach volleyball, beach football, canoe racing, surfing competitions, community engagement, and storytelling.
- Group
- 30–200 people
- Departure
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Included
- Air-conditioned bus
- Experienced driver
- English-speaking guide
- Sightseeing
- Lunch
Destination discovery
Where cruise guests go
Freetown, Bunce Island, Tacugama, Banana Island, River No. 2, and the peninsula beaches — all within reach of Queen Elizabeth II Quay.
Freetown
Sierra Leone’s capital and the starting point for city sightseeing — Cotton Tree, museums, churches, markets, and Old Fourah Bay College.
Bunce Island
A heritage island in the Sierra Leone River, visited together with neighbouring Tasso Island.
Tacugama
A rainforest chimpanzee sanctuary in the hills above Freetown, visited as a guided shore programme.
Banana Island
An island shore day with diving, snorkelling, paddle boating, swimming, and a seafood lunch on the beach.
River No. 2
The beach at the end of the rainforest birding trail offered as a shore excursion.
Peninsula beaches
Western Area peninsula beaches used for surfing, beach sports, canoe racing, and community-hosted activities.
Port of Freetown
Queen Elizabeth II Quay
Africa’s largest natural harbour, with a minimum entrance depth of 11.6m and quay facilities for cruise calls.
Port facts
- Name
- Queen Elizabeth II Quay
- Location
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Minimum entrance depth
- 11.6m
- Original quay length
- 365m
- Quay extension
- 702m
Port figures are taken from the 2024 cruise-ship proposal and are presented as proposal information, not as independently verified live conditions.
Arrival information
48-hour vessel information
The following vessel information is required for cruise calls at Freetown.
- Vessel name
- Port of registry
- Gross registered tonnage
- Length overall
- Draft forward and aft
- Total cargo tonnage
- Sierra Leone cargo tonnage
- Containers for Sierra Leone
- Vehicles for Sierra Leone
- Expected arrival time at pilot station
- Last port of call
- Next port of call
Documentation
Documentation checklist
Required documentation for port clearance and customs facilitation.
- Last port clearance
- Ports of call list
- Maritime declaration of health
- Vaccination list
- Stowaway list
- Crew list
- Narcotics list
- Animal list
- Passenger list
- Arms and ammunition list
- Stores / bonded store list
- Crew declaration list
- Cargo manifest
- Notice of readiness
- Nil lists
Port services
Services at the quay
Essential port services available for cruise calls at Freetown.
Fresh water
Fresh water availability is listed in the proposal.
Bunkering
Bunkering by truck is listed in the proposal.
Ship chandler
Ship chandler / store provisions are listed.
Garbage collection
Garbage collection is listed among port services.
Medical emergency
Hospital, doctor, and dentist emergency availability is listed.
Telephone / mobile
Telephone and mobile services are listed as available with notice.
Berthing & maritime
Pilotage, anchorage, and berthing
Maritime information for smooth arrival and departure at Freetown.
Pilotage
- Sea pilot is compulsory for berthing
- Pilot meets the vessel at Falcon Bridge point
- Pilotage is listed as 08:00–18:00
- Extension may be granted via the ship’s agent
Anchorage & tugs
- An anchorage area is available
- Tugs are listed as available
- Maximum draft for a specific call is confirmed with the agent — figures are not published here as live conditions
The proposal lists seven berths and associated draft information. Those berth-by-berth figures are confirmed per call with the ship’s agent rather than shown as a live berthing table on this public page.
Personnel
Guides and drivers
Experienced English-speaking staff who accompany every cruise programme.
Drivers
- English-speaking
- Mobile-equipped
- 5+ years driving experience
- Familiar with road conditions
Tour guides
- Accompany excursions
- Provide historical and cultural information
- Monitor groups
- Coordinate pickup and drop-off
- Coordinate lunch and sightseeing
- Connect facilities and tour operations
- Provide guest briefings
- Provide first aid when needed
Capabilities
What we provide
Standard inclusions and capabilities across cruise programmes.
- English-speaking guides
- Lunch when stated on the excursion
- Bottled water
- Experienced drivers
- 24-hour support desk once a request is confirmed
- Comprehensive bus insurance
- Fully air-conditioned buses
Terms
Booking terms
Key terms for cruise excursion bookings and services.
Per-person costing
Costs are charged per person.
Minimum numbers
Minimum group numbers apply. Special arrangements may be possible when minimum numbers are not met.
Changes and cancellation
Changes and cancellation fees apply.
Visa and shore pass
Visa / shore-pass facilitation is available upon receiving the passenger manifest.
Gratuities
Tips and gratuities are applicable.
Shipping agency
Shipping agency cost is the cruise liner’s liability. The inbound operator can recommend an operator.
Payment
Payment terms
Payment arrangements for confirmed cruise programmes.
Deposit
A 50% deposit is required upon confirmation.
Balance
Payment is due at least three weeks before excursion dates.
Banking
Payment details are provided during confirmed booking and invoicing.
Cruise inquiry
Request a cruise plan
Submit your vessel and programme requirements. The cruise desk confirms every itinerary in writing.