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Time of India
20-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
When do we sail? Cruise ships are turning Indian ports into destinations
Soon after the Bahamas flagged cruise ship MV Empress docks in Visakhapatnam on the morning of July 16, KN Rao, a retired sales manager, and his wife K Mangama step ashore—the thrill of a luxury sail on the sea evident on their beaming faces. A week earlier, the couple had boarded a train from their hometown Berhampur in Odisha, followed by a flight to Chennai, where they celebrated their daughter Vandana's birthday. From there, they did not take a train or a flight back home. They instead booked a two-night cruise. They picked a cabin, which did not have sweeping ocean views, but was rather easy on the pocket. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category PGDM Finance Management Product Management Design Thinking MCA Cybersecurity healthcare Technology Healthcare Data Science Artificial Intelligence MBA Project Management Degree Others Public Policy Operations Management Data Analytics Digital Marketing others Leadership CXO Data Science Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details 'Some rooms were priced at Rs 1 lakh and above. We booked a standard room for Rs 41,600, which covered our stay along with basic food and drinks. We will always cherish this moment,' says Rao, as he poses for a photo with the ship in the background. Mangama laughs along, both savouring a memory they have just created. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Like Rao and Mangama, Indians are increasingly going for short voyages aboard cruise ships, for a taste of luxury on sea. A wave of excitement fills the air later that day, as passengers prepare to board MV Empress for the next leg—Visakhapatnam to Puducherry and onwards to Chennai. Among them are Sahil Singla and Nikita Verma , a young fintech couple from Bengaluru, ready to unwind at sea. There is also a lively group of 12 first-time cruisers from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, who have booked their return tickets by train. Live Events On Deck 5 of the 11-storey ship, run by Cordelia Cruises, a crew member hands out a leaflet outlining the day's activities, dos and don'ts and services that come at an extra cost, like salon and casino. Tucked in the fine print is a firm reminder of onboard decorum: spitting paan comes with a penalty of $1,000. Cruise tourism in India is charting a new course. An increasing number of luxury liners are calling on our ports even as the middle class is discovering the pleasures of sailing. India's cruise tourism has now set an ambitious target of 1 million passengers docking at its ports annually by 2029. WELCOME ABOARD 'Cruise tourism is gaining strong traction among India's upper middleclass segment. Growing disposable income of a burgeoning middle and upper middle class enables them to embrace cruise as a preferred leisure choice,' Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal tells ET. He adds that aspiration for premium travel experiences and increased awareness about cruise holidays are fuelling the demand. The number of sea cruise passengers in India saw a five-fold increase over the past decade — from 1,04,125 in 2014-15 to 4,92,000 in 2024-25. This figure does not include river cruise passengers, for which data is not readily available. However, Sonowal points out that the fleet of luxury river-cruise vessels grew from 3 in FY2014 to 25 in FY2025, reflecting a boom in inland cruise tourism as well. FARE WELL M Angamuthu, chairman of the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, says the rise of domestic cruise lines and the inclusion of Indian ports by international operators have contributed to making cruises more accessible and appealing to Indian travellers. But he also strikes a note of caution: 'Pricing is, and will remain, a critical factor in the Indian cruise market.' He elaborates: 'While there's a segment that is willing to pay for luxury, the broad market, especially the expanding middle class, is price sensitive. Competitive pricing for itineraries, onboard amenities and shore excursions will be key to attracting and retaining passengers. This means cruise lines need to optimise their operational costs and port authorities need to offer rationalised and transparent tariffs.' Unlike airlines, cruise companies rarely publicise their fares. But several cruisers say the per-night cost of a cabin typically ranges from Rs 10,000 to several lakhs, depending on the level of luxury. Much like first-class passengers in aviation, suite guests on a cruise enjoy far more than a spacious bedroom. They have access to private dining areas, sundeck balconies and priority embarkation and disembarkation at every port. Sometimes, the experience is topped with an exclusive cocktail evening with the captain. Mumbai remains the country's cruise tourism hub, handling 102 vessels and 2,68,830 passengers in 2024. However, Cochin Port saw 28 international cruise ship calls last year compared with Mumbai's 20. Among the global cruise giants that regularly include Indian ports in their itineraries are Holland America Line, Crystal Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Azamara. A 16-night voyage by Azamara Cruises later this year—from Port Louis, Mauritius, to Singapore—has a two-night stopover in Cochin. CARGO TO CRUISE Former shipping secretary Gopal Krishna says that until a few years ago, India had not prioritised the development of dedicated cruise terminals to attract cruise vessels. 'For a long time, Indian ports primarily functioned as cargo hubs, not as gateways for cruise passengers,' he says. 'But with new cruise terminals being built and existing ones being upgraded, we are now better equipped to serve cruise tourism.' He says the game-changer for India's cruise industry will be the ability to attract more foreign vessels to use Indian ports as home port, which means the port where a ship operates from, though not necessarily where it is registered. Homeporting of large cruise ships is not merely a logistical operation, it can be a catalyst for economic growth and job creation. In 2016, Costa NeoClassica, a foreign vessel featuring a casino, theatre, disco, ballroom and a 1,300 sq m wellness centre, chose Mumbai as its home port for three months and completed seven voyages. Its ripple effects were highlighted by the government in a 2017 paper, which states a cruise vessel with a capacity of 3,000 passengers can generate employment for nearly 1,000 people when it uses an Indian port as its home base. The ripple effect extends to local businesses. With each passenger spending at least $70-100 a day on land excursions, a cruise ship fuels substantial daily transactions, injecting fresh energy into tourism, retail and service sectors. 'We believe India could have multiple home ports for foreign cruise vessels by 2029,' says Rajiv Jalota, former chairman, Mumbai Port Authority. 'The government's vision is to enable homeporting of at least one cruise ship each in Goa, Chennai, Kochi and Visakhapatnam, apart from one or two in Mumbai.' Jalota says discussions are at an early stage on launching open-jaw cruises from Port Blair to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. In open-jaw cruises, departure and arrival ports are different. 'If the Port Blair blueprint materialises, passengers can fly to the Andaman Islands and board a cruise ship for the onward voyage,' he says. Global cruise giants are eager to expand into Indian waters but, Jalota says, some operators are lobbying hard for additional tax benefits. According to Krishan Arora, partner, Grant Thornton Bharat , the government has already streamlined the tax issues. He says a simplified tax regime, effective from April 2025, allows foreign cruise operators to bypass cumbersome audits and filings by opting for a fixed percentage of their receipts to be treated as taxable income. He also highlights another recent reform— the removal of import duties on foreign cruise ships temporarily operating along India's coastline. 'This opens up the Indian market for seasonal and short-term cruise deployments, a model followed globally but previously impractical in India due to tax barriers,' he adds. While ship-wise passenger data isn't publicly available, at least two senior government officials point out that MV Empress is singlehandedly driving much of the recent surge in numbers, a matter of concern considering that this French-built ship is 35 years old. They also say the vessel's Delhi-based parent company, Waterways Leisure Tourism, is planning to acquire another cruise ship in the next couple of months. Jurgen Bailom, CEO of Cordelia Cruises, has declined to comment. One thing is clear: the success of cruise liners will depend not just on competitive pricing, but on how they tailor experiences to suit Indian travellers. Take Nayan Goel , 35, an FMCG wholesaler from Lucknow, who flew to Chennai with his wife Sweety and son Parth, to board the MV Empress, paying Rs 1,78,000 for a five-night cruise in an ocean-view cabin. Among all the highlights of the voyage, one detail stands out for him. 'The restaurant on Deck 5, Starlight, serves vegetarian Jain food,' he says with a smile.
India Gazette
07-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Exploring all possibilities to achieve better connectivity with Bay of Bengal: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 7 (ANI): The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, emphasised exploring all possibilities to achieve better connectivity through waterways with the Bay of Bengal to benefit people of North-East who are in the trading sector. Sarbananda Sonowal said, 'All the possibilities which are accessible to the northeast region under the Act East policy are because of PM Modi's dedicated leadership. Like the other ministries, our ministry of port shipping and water is trying to explore all possibilities to achieve better connectivity with the Bay of Bengal through waterways. We have the Bangladesh protocol route and the other one is Sittwe, and from Mizoram connecting Kaladan River and making possible the connectivity with Sittwe port and which will give access to the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. This way, people of the northeast will get the best connecting facilities.' He further said that this is possible only because PM's Act East Policy. 'The Prime Minister wants that North East should become the growth engine for India, and he also termed it because of the available potential that it is the Ashta Lakshmi of India, and North East should become the hub of entire South East Asia in all aspects. Sittwe port has already been built and it has become operational. Now the Kaladan 159 km land and other parts connecting to Mizoram, 110 kms by road is under construction and is going to be completed by 2027. This is going to strengthen us for speedy growth of our economy and particularly the people of North-East who are in the trading sector, entrepreneurs, farmers. Everyone in the production sector will also get benefit of this connectivity enhancement,' he added. Earlier on June 30 Sonowal inaugurated first-ever ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue at Chennai. The meet hosted by India is being attended by all the member nations of ASEAN; i.e. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with Timor Leste. The dialogue aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance cruise connectivity, and promote sustainable tourism across the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting was held aboard the MV Empress (Cordelia Cruise ship) at Chennai Port, with more than 30 delegates from ASEAN countries. Along with the stakeholders and senior officials from the MoPSW, the event will continue in Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said India plans to professionalise 5,000 km of navigable waterways to enhance cruise connectivity with ASEAN nations. Speaking at the inaugural ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue in Chennai, Sonowal noted that the Sagar Mala initiative aims for one million cruise passengers by 2029, with ship calls rising sharply from 102 in 2013-14 to over 14,000 today, driven by policy reforms, tax measures, and improved port infrastructure. Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted, 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to boost coastal connectivity and modernise customs and immigration can be achieved with greater cooperation. Two thematic sessions are guiding the discussions on 'ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund: Trade & Investment' and on 'ASEAN-India Cruise Tourist Circuits: Cruise Tourism.' (ANI)
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Minister flags off cruise tourism ship at Visakhapatnam International Terminal
VISAKHAPATNAM: The luxury cruise liner MV Empress set sail from the Visakhapatnam International Cruise Terminal on Wednesday, signalling a major milestone in the city's emergence as a hub for cruise tourism. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the vessel, stating that Visakhapatnam is poised to become a key player in boosting tourism and maritime economic activity. Minister of State for Ministry of Ports Shantanu Thakur reaffirmed the Centre's support for enhancing cruise tourism across Indian ports. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in a message, assured the State's full backing for cruise development. State Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh said new tourist circuits are under development and more cruise calls are anticipated at the port.
Hans India
03-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
‘MV Empress' makes its way to Vizag
Visakhapatnam: The luxury Cordelia cruise liner MV Empress made its way to Visakhapatnam International Cruise Terminal on July 2 (Wednesday). Marking a significant milestone in the city's advent as a premier destination for cruise tourism, Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), in collaboration with the district administration, organised a grand flag-off ceremony for the vessel's onward voyage. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the cruise ship and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision that Visakhapatnam would play a key role in boosting tourism and economic growth in the maritime sector. Participating in a virtual mode, Minister of State for MoPSW Shantanu Thakur reaffirmed the Centre's commitment towards promoting cruise tourism across Indian ports. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu extended his best wishes on the occasion through a digital conference and assured complete support for the development of cruise tourism in the State. Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh emphasised the AP government's proactive approach in developing tourist circuits and hubs. He mentioned that many more cruise liners will be introduced in Visakhapatnam in future. Special Chief Secretary (Tourism and Culture) Ajay Jain expressed hope for increased cruise traffic to Visakhapatnam Port and assured complete cooperation from the State government under the visionary leadership of Naidu. Reiterating the Prime Minister's vision of promoting cruise tourism at all major ports, chairperson of VPA M Angamuthu shared the Chief Minister's idea of developing maritime hubs for every 50-km stretch, such as ship building, Maritime Skill Development and coastal or cruise tourism. He announced that the VPA would sponsor 5,000 students annually in cruise-led skill development programmes, thereby generating employment and contributing to the socio-economic upliftment of coastal regions. The chairperson shared plans to organise an Andhra-specific cruise dialogue to further accelerate cruise tourism development in coordination with MoPSW, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. As part of the celebrations, boarding passes were symbolically handed over to the families for their journey aboard the MV Empress in the presence of Collector MN Harendhira Prasad, Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharath, MLA Ch Vamsi Krishna Srinivas and others were present.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India, ASEAN explore cruise tourism corridor to boost maritime, port connectivity, ET Infra
Advt By , ETInfra Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. India will work with ASEAN countries to develop cruise tourism circuits in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on at the inaugural session of the first-ever ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue, Sonowal said the initiative aims to enhance maritime cooperation and strengthen tourism and port connectivity across the Indo-Pacific event, hosted by India at Chennai Port, was attended by delegates from all ASEAN member countries — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with Timor Leste.'India plans to work closely with ASEAN nations to develop cruise tourism and tourism circuits in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region,' Sonowal added that an integrated cruise network connecting Indian ports with ASEAN destinations is being envisioned. This will be supported by real-time vessel tracking systems and modern passenger terminals. 'These ideas will be deliberated during the dialogue,' the minister government also aims to professionalise 5,000 km of navigable waterways to improve cruise connectivity with ASEAN nations, he dialogue, held aboard MV Empress (Cordelia Cruise Ship), brought together over 30 delegates and served as a high-level platform for discussions on cruise tourism, port infrastructure development, regulatory coordination, and identification of cruise routes linking cultural and commercial hubs in the event also explored the possibility of establishing an ASEAN-India Cruise Tourism Corridor as part of India's broader maritime vision.
