Staging a rebound, the cruise industry is trying to capture the emerging domestic market

It was the 1+1 Diwali cruise offer that tempted Jalandhar-based businessman Bharat Bhushan (59) and his wife Meenakshi Arora (58) to book the two-night Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai itinerary on Costa Serena, operated by Italian cruise liner Costa Cruises. “We wanted to be away from the pollution that envelops the air during Diwali. So, we decided to take a crusie and do Diwali puja on the ship itself. After all, God is everywhere. And, of course, the chance to be on the largest cruise liner on Indian waters was too good to resist.” Making the most of the festival season, this luxury cruise liner, which is in India from November till January, has 23 sails lined up from Mumbai to Goa, Lakshadweep and Kochi. Likewise, with cruises from Mumbai to Lakshadweep, Kochi, Chennai and Goa, home-grown cruise liner Cordelia Cruises, too, promises to turn its luxury liner MV Empress, which is the country’s first international cruise ship, into a Diwali paradise and merrymakers’ delight.

Costly affair

• A two-night Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai cruise will cost between Rs 22,000 and Rs 27,000 for a basic room.
• A three-night Mumbai-Goa or Kochi-Mumbai cruise can start from Rs 30,000. A five-night and more cruise starts from Rs 50,000 upwards.

With the festival of lights and holiday season approaching, cruise companies, which are making a rebound after the downturn due to the pandemic, are leaving no stone unturned to woo domestic holiday makers. There are offers such as ‘Sail for four nights and pay for three’, ‘Garba under the stars’, ‘Companion free offer’, ‘Wedding vows in the middle of the ocean’, and more. Most of the sails range from two to five nights.

The increasing number of domestic sailings has captured the attention of Indian as well as international players. With more than 8,000 domestic bookings since travel restarted, Thomas Cook and SOTC have been the top sellers of India’s Cordelia Cruises.

On Indian waters, Mumbai-Goa and Mumbai-Lakshadweep are top favourites. Kerala’s backwaters, besides cruises in Kovalam, Andamans and Sundarbans also remain in high demand. Other popular high-end cruises include the Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda Cruise in Alleppey, Kerala, and MV Mahabaahu over the Brahmaputra.

Tips for a Cruise holiday

• Choose your cruise liner depending on your requirement.
• On a cruise, you are likely to be out of your room most of the time, so, if you want to save extra bucks, you can book an inside cabin, which is the most economical.
• Check the cruise rules and all the inclusions in advance.
• Preferably book your offshore excursions, tours, fine-dining restaurants onboard. At times, you can get great deals.
• Onboard, plan your next day’s activities in advance so that you don’t miss out on anything significant.

It is mostly first-timers who haven’t travelled abroad who are opting for domestic cruise itineraries, says Gagan of Chandigarh-based IV Holidays. He says, “Couples with children and small families prefer a cruise experience for the resort-like feel where they don’t have to worry about keeping the kids entertained as there are gaming arcades, swimming pools, and even water slides on the ship.”

Most of the cruise ships come with a range of on-board entertainment. This can include theatrical performances, Broadway shows, gala events, etc. Besides playzones for children, many offer activities like rock climbing, zip-lining, water sports, and even snorkelling and scuba diving sessions. Bigger ships have jogging tracks, sports pitches that offer basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc. World-class dining options include cafes and buffets to multi-gourmet restaurants. Staring at as low as Rs 22,000 for two nights, the price range can go up to lakhs depending on the cruise duration, itinerary, class of cabins, amenities, etc. The category of rooms ranges from inside cabin, ocean view cabin, verandah cabins and different categories of suites, including penthouses and villas. Inside cabins are the most economical but include the least amount of amenities.

According to Delhi-based Vinay Arora of ATG Holidays, cruises are preferred for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) events, especially when companies are launching a new product, since they get an all-inclusive two nights’ package, which comes out to be cheaper compared to hotels since there is no need for expenses like hotel transfers, etc.

As gambling is only allowed in slot machines on land in India, cruises like Big Daddy and Deltin Royale offer onboard all-inclusive casino experience. Such casinos, anchored mostly in the Arabian Sea, offer gaming options like poker, roulette, Indian Flash, etc, which are banned on Indian land.

The India Holiday Report 2023 by Thomas Cook India and SOTC has revealed a 70 per cent surge in cruise holidays/sea-cations. Citing a contrast with the global trend, the report said internationally, cruising is predominantly a market for senior citizens, but here it is Young India’s Gen Z, millennials and working professionals that are displaying a strong appetite for cruises.

Says Daniel D’souza, president and country head (holidays), SOTC, “In addition to metros and mini-metros, we are witnessing a strong growth emerging from regional India’s tier 2 and tier 3 markets.”

“We are seeing a growing appetite across consumer segments from Gen Z/millennials, couples, multi-generational families and corporate MICE. There is an increased preference for luxury experiences and higher categories like ocean-view cabins and suites,” says Rajeev Kale, president (holidays) MICE, visa, Thomas Cook (India).

Cruise tourism in India is growing like never before, says Pravesh Shah, who has more than 13 years of experience as senior manager, F&B operations, in international cruise vessels. “In the past, cruising was very expensive and few ships were coming here. But the scenario started changing in the last decade with big players like Royal Carribean, Carnival, MSC, Holland America, Cunard, Disney, understanding the potential of the Indian market. Today, many international ships are making Mumbai their home port, thus making it convenient and cost-effective for Indian travellers.”

Another sector that is emerging strongly is river cruising. The world’s longest river cruise from Varanasi to Dibrugarh was flagged off by the Prime Minister this year. The cruise liner, MV Ganga Vilas, is said to be booked for the next two years. Many more inland waterways are being developed to add to this emerging sector.

The changing riverscape

In January this year, river cruising got a shot in the arm when Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 51-day trip of MV Ganga Vilas, making it the world’s longest river cruise covering a distance of 3,200 km. Raj Singh, CEO of Antara Cruises, which operates the cruise liner, talks about how river cruise landscape is changing.

How is river cruise different from a sea cruise?

The two are entirely different. When cruising on sea, you are surrounded by water on all sides. Thus, if you are going for many days, you’ll get bored. This is the reason why sea cruise liners need to keep you entertained with gaming arcades, swimming pools, casinos, etc. Contrary to this, when you are on a river cruise, you are not cut off from your surroundings as you can see all that is happening on the land around you. You can even stop and visit many of those places each day. There is a difference in the built of ships too. Ships cruising on the sea can be very huge in size but the same is not possible for the ones on river. That’s because there are bridges and varied water levels at different places.

You have been operating river cruises for many years. How is the Ganga Vilas cruise different?

We have been offering river cruises for more than 15 years and have nine ships in water. But what makes Ganga Vilas unique is that it has been made with the capacity and capability to undertake long cruises. When I say long cruises, we are talking of 51-52 days, connecting major river systems of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra via Bangladesh.

What kind of clients are you getting? What is the price range?

For our longer cruises, it is mostly foreign clients while Indians opt for shorter ones. The 51-day cruise costs Rs 50,000 per night for a double room and includes meals and sightseeing. The suites for short cruises are costlier. For instance, our two-night cruise ‘History Along the River’ starts at Rs 61,000 per person.

What is the rationale behind an expensive cruise?

We have 18 suites in MV Ganga Vilas. For these, we have a crew of 40. With a huge staff to client ratio, we are able to give personal attention to detail, besides quality of service and food. Imagine the kind of thinking that chefs have to do for 50 days. The cruise offers an immersive experience for the guests. They get to visit different types of sites since the ship stops at historical monuments, heritage sites, nature reserves, national parks, etc. From an aarti at Varanasi to experiencing wildlife at Kaziranga National Park or the mangroves of Sundarbans, or simply witnessing daily life while crossing the villages in the interior of the country, it is a visual treat. For instance, the beautiful tangail sarees are made by weavers living in the interiors of Bangladesh. When we are in the area, we give the guests a chance to see how these are made. We also provide one or two guides on the cruise, who explain everything to the guests.

What about the river ecosystem? Does it not get affected by the cruising ships?

Our ships, which have been made in India, are flat-bottomed. Unlike the sea ships with a draft of 5-6 metres, the draft of river ships is not more than 1.3 metres. So, no part of the ship goes beyond 5 feet in water. Rivers go deeper than this, thus leaving most of the river ecosystem unaffected. The only big fish here is the Gangetic dolphin. In case of a huge school coming, we have a dolphin diffuser, a special instrument approved by the Wildlife Institute of India. However, since most of the big fish swim in deep waters in certain sections, we have never had the need to deploy it. Also, we make the ship sustainable. Though we have bottled water on ship, we don’t encourage single-use plastic bottles. We have an RO plant on the ship. As we cruise along, we source fresh fruits and vegetables and cook local food.