Category Archives: Cruises

TIRUN, the exclusive India representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises, has signed a marketing partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board as the first recipient of the enhanced Cruise Development Fund that supports travel partners for cruise charters from Singapore. The association allows TIRUN to reach out to a larger consumer base looking to experience cruising in Southeast Asia. As a result it has introduced itineraries onboard its Voyager of the Seas sailing from Singapore that have been especially curated keeping Indian families in mind and range from three-night to eight-night sailings. Guests can cruise from Singapore to popular destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nha Trang in Vietnam, and more. They can enjoy iconic features onboard the cruise ship like the innovative ‘Flow Rider’ surf simulator, the onboard ice skating, rock climbing as well many other such activities, as they sail from one exotic South East Asian destination to another and take in the best of the resplendent culture of each port. Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN, said, “The semi- charter of the Voyager of the Seas is an endeavor on our part to offer Indian cruisers an opportunity to embark on a cruise with extreme facility. Sailing from Singapore is not only very easy but it’s also the most cost-effective alternative. The itineraries onboard the cruise ship have been designed to give cruisers a glimpse into the diversity and splendour of South East Asian culture while also offering them the added attraction of Indian food onboard. The sailing dates have also been strategically planned to coincide with summer vacations in India. It has been a fruitful collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board thanks to which we have managed to …

Dream Cruises’ first ship, Genting Dream that was launched in India this January, will dock in Mumbai on October 29, 2016. Thatcher Brown, President, Dream Cruises, who was in Mumbai to make this announcement, said, “We will announce the price of the packages agents can start selling by February end. We will offer a really good value proposition to our trade partners and the commission structure will be similar to the one of Star Cruises. Itineraries will include two-, five- and seven-night cruises. As of now, we don’t have plans to make Mumbai a permanent stop for it.” The ship will be stationed out of China for regular sailings and will be priced higher than Star Cruises’ existing cruises. The new ships will have of 1,700 staterooms, 35 restaurants and bars, various entertainment areas, outdoor adventures, rejuvenation facilities and more. Her sister ship World Dream will sail in November 2017.

Maharashtra is in high level talks with the Chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust to upgrade the port for cruise terminal. Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary Tourism & Cultural Affair, Government of Maharashtra, said, “We have had a series of meetings with some of the biggest cruise liners when we were at WTM London last year that led us to think in this direction. There is a high-powered committee set up by the Ministry of Shipping to promote cruise tourism. The Secretary of Tourism, Secretary of Shipping and the Chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust have had some meetings on that already. One of the areas which has been highlighted is the infrastructure in the port terminals. As per the requirement Cochin port trust has completed the infrastructure work on one of the best cruise terminals. Maharashtra now needs to have a cruise terminal separate from a normal port because one cruise liner brings in so much business to the destination. I have written to the Mumbai Port Trust chairman and discussed with him to step up our infrastructure in the Mumbai terminal. We will work out an upgradation plan for this and the MoT will fund it under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. The short term plan is to ensure easy immigration and customs with the current infrastructure.”

The Oberoi Group has announced that The Oberoi Philae, Luxury Nile Cruiser, Egypt will sail between Aswan and Luxor, offering a four and six night itinerary. The Group already operates another luxury cruiser, The Oberoi Zahra, and will be increasing its presence on the Nile with The Oberoi Philae. P.R.S. Oberoi, Executive Chairman, The Oberoi Group, said, “We are pleased to present The Oberoi Philae, Luxury Nile Cruiser which offers the highest standards of luxury and hospitality. The Oberoi Group has been consistently recognised as amongst the best in the world, and I am confident that The Oberoi Philae, Luxury Nile Cruiser will continue this tradition and offer travellers an unparalleled experience on the Nile.”

Global Panorama Showcase (GPS) 2016, that took place from January 8-10 in Nagpur, served as a platform for the India launch of Dream Cruises–a premium cruise brand for the Asian markets under the Genting HK banner. Naresh Rawal, Vice President, Sales, Star Cruises (India), said, “With this new brand, Genting Hong Kong will now offer cruising products in three different segments—Star Cruises that will be promoted as a contemporary brand, Dream Cruises as the premium brand and Crystal Cruises as the luxury brand. The ship will make its way from Germany to Singapore via Colombo, making a stop in  Mumbai on its way in the last week of October or first week of November 2016, just after Diwali. We will be opening bookings for this, once we have the dates and itineraries confirmed. This will be a dry run and the ship will be stationed out of China for regular sailing.” It will be priced higher than Star’s existing cruises. Itineraries will include two-, five- and seven-night cruises. The new ships will have of 1,700 staterooms, 35 restaurants and bars, various entertainment areas, outdoor adventures, rejuvenation facilities and more.