Category Archives: Cruises

Keeping the health and safety of its guests and crew, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has made some necessary decisions such as extending the temporary suspension of voyages to help contain the spread of the virus as well as offer credit and even a full refund on bookings. Steve Odell, SVP & Managing Director Asia Pacific, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, stated, “All our affected guests will automatically receive a 100 per cent ‘Future Cruise Credit’ and a bonus 25 per cent Future Cruise Credit. These Future Cruise Credits are valid for one year from issue date and applicable towards all voyages through 31st December, 2022. Clients taking the automatic Future Cruise Credits will also receive full Seven Seas Society loyalty night credit for the suspended voyage. For those who prefer a 100 per cent refund must complete the refund request online by 13 April, 2020 and the refund will be processed within 90 days.” The newly suspended voyages are Seven Seas Splendor (16 April, 30 April 2020), Seven Seas Explorer (17 April, 27 April, 4 May 2020), Seven Seas Voyager (16 April 2020), and Seven Seas Navigator (25 April 2020).

The Indian government has decided not to let any cruise ship from any foreign destination dock at any of its port. The measure has been taken keeping in mind the growing threat of COVID-19. Any international cruise ship or any member of its crew or passenger having a travel history of visiting any of the COVID-19 affected countries since 1st February 2020; will not be permitted to enter any Indian port till 31st March 2020. 25 cruise liners were scheduled to arrive in Indian ports till April-end. “Only those international cruise ships which had planned and intimated their call to an Indian Port not later than 1st January 2020 will be allowed to call on such port,” the Ministry of Shipping said. The government said international cruise ships will be allowed only at ports having thermal screening facilities for passengers and crew members. If any passenger/crew member of cruise ships show symptoms of coronavirus, disembarking will not be permitted, it added.

Starting 27th March 2020, Genting Dream Cruise will again start sailing from Singapore. The ship had announced voluntary suspension of Genting Dream’s operations from Singapore from February 23 amidst rising travel concerns after coronavirus outbreak. Genting Dream features all the comforts of authentic Asian hospitality, combined with the finest experiences from around the world.

The Globus family of brands – Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways – has launched a completely new online travel specialist programme for 2020. Titled Globus Family of Brands University, the specialist programme offers three different courses for Avalon waterways, Globus & Cosmos and Monograms. To encourage and inspire travel agents, Globus family has announced a gift voucher of Rs. 500/- to all the agents who complete the modules successfully before 29 February 2020. Upon successfully finishing the programme, travel agent partners will receive a host of benefits including a Certificate of Completion and getting showcased on the Globus & Cosmos websites as experts. “We have noticed, on average, about 30 per cent increase in sales from agents who have completed our specialist programmes. If an agent or agency is serious about increasing their revenue, specialising in selling the Globus family of brands increases their knowledge of our vacations manifold and makes them extremely profitable,” said Varesh Chopra, Globus family of brands’ Regional Director, India, South Asia & Middle East.

Seabourn Cruise Line, an ultra-luxury cruise line headquartered in Seattle, Washington has appointed Cruise Professionals as their exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for the India market. Sharing details, Nishith Saxena, Founder & Director, Cruise Professionals said, “It gives me immense pleasure to share the news of the appointment of Cruise Professionals as the exclusive GSA for the India market by one of the most luxurious all-suite cruise line, Seabourn. With our partners’ continuous support, Cruise Professionals remains the most diversified cruise representative company in India with a primary focus on B2B distribution. We seek the support of the travel trade in making Seabourn, the cruise line of choice in the luxury segment.” Seabourn pioneered small-ship, ultra-luxury cruising, and continues to represent the pinnacle of that unique style of travel. A fleet of intimate, all-suite ships, carrying between 458 and 600 guests each, sail to the world’s most desirable destinations at their peak seasons. Onboard, guests are served by an award-wining crew numbering nearly as many as the guests, hand-picked and extensively trained to deliver Seabourn’s signature style of thoughtful, personalized and heartfelt hospitality. Seabourn’s ships attract accomplished people who enjoy travelling well and sharing fun and adventures with other interesting people. A great many of them have found the Seabourn cruise experience to be their preferred method of travel, and return regularly to sail with us again and again. Over the last 11 years, Cruise Professionals has been offering a range of attractive cruise holiday options through several premium cruise lines which are distributed through travel agency associates across the country, who in turn offer a diverse & rich mix of cruise & allied services to their HNI clients. The …

The deepening work of the Ganges is underway and big ships will be able to cruise on the Ganges by 2021, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while briefing about his government’ integrated waterways policy in Kolkata. He also said that 625 projects worth Rs. 6 Lakh crore have been identified under the Sagarmala Scheme of the government to improve connectivity as well as infrastructure of ports, out of which 200 projects worth Rs. 3 lakh crore are already underway. He revealed that 125 projects have already been completed by the government by modernising existing port infrastructure and integrating it with other modes of transport in a seamless way. Commenting about Kolkata’s unique positioning as the ‘Sangam Sthal’ of the Sea and the River Ganges, Modi said that Kolkata will be the biggest beneficiary of the connected and integrated transport policy of the government. Ports, he said, have always been considered to be the gateways to prosperity in India.

Genting Cruise Lines will be launching their new cruise ship- Global Dream in 2021. The bookings for the same will start this year. Michael Goh, President, Dream Cruises & Head of International Sales at Genting Cruise Lines, revealed that the new ship has been made in their own building facility in Germany and can accommodate as many as 9000 guests. He says, “The Global Dream will allow the guests to open the cabin doors via their smartphones, has many configurations for luxury guests, the biggest roller-coaster ride ever built on a ship and many more features that will make it as one of the most unique and biggest cruise ships ever.”  

The Union Territory of Ladakh has increased its tourism budget to Rs 200 crore this year from Rs 55 lakh earlier when it was only a district in the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state, revealed RK Mathur, Lieutenant Governor, Ladakh, while speaking at the special ‘Ladakh Night’ organised by the Administration of UT of Ladakh Tourism Department and All Ladakh Travel association stakeholders. He also revealed that the newly allocated budget would be used to create new tourism products and infrastructure in the UT. The event saw the stakeholders presenting the tourism products of Ladakh to the travel and tour operators in Delhi. Some of the dignitaries present at the event were Rigzin Samphel, Commercial Secretary, Tourism, Ladakh and Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Member of Parliament, Ladakh.  

32 million global passengers are expected to cruise in the year 2020, reveals Cruise Line International Association’s 2020- State of the Cruise Industry Outlook. In 2019, the projected number of passengers taking cruises globally is 30 million, which was 1.5 million more than what it was in 2018 (28.5 million). CLIA also revealed that 278 ocean cruise line ships are projected to be in operation in 2020, while 19 are scheduled to debut next year.

India’s first full-fledged international cruise terminal will open at the Ernakulam wharf in Willingdon Island in Kochi and will be commissioned in February 2020, said M Beena, Chairperson, Cochin Port Trust (CPT). The Rs 25.72-crore cruise terminal with facilities to handle 5,000 tourists will be spread over 12,200 sq. ft. There are also plans to have regular helicopter services from the terminal to different tourist spots in Kerala. The wharf, after the revamp will have an area to stage traditional art forms, ATMs and food kiosks on the premises. There will also be a permanent space for selling artefacts and others to tourists, aimed at improving visitor experience.