Category Archives: Cruises

After having successfully completed 100+ sailings along both the east and the west coast of India, covering 7 ports in total, doing 300 plus shows and serving more than 100,000 guests in the last 12 months of operation, Cordelia Cruises has positioned itself as one of the most preferred cruises in the country. Commenting on the Indian cruising scenario and his experiences, Jurgen Bailom – President and CEO – Cordelia Cruises explains “Our goal with the Indian market was to create change and make cruising a top priority on every traveler’s wishlist and looking at the numbers, we can certainly confirm that we have been successful. We are overjoyed and humbled in equal measure with the response we have received since our launch. Families come in large numbers, weddings and important events are being hosted on board and guests are making memories of a lifetime through the stellar food, entertainment and destination experiences being offered by Cordelia Cruises. We’re onto a great journey in the Indian market and we will continue to work towards curating top notch experiences for our guests.”

Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism & Culture has informed that to harness the potential of Cruise Tourism in the country, a Task Force has been constituted with Secretary (Tourism) as the Chairman and Secretary (Shipping) as the Co-chairman.

Redefining travel in the Konkan region is the Ropax vessel named ‘Kokan Gaurav’ that will cruise from Mumbai ferry wharf to Kashid and Dighi in Raigad. It is Asia’s first high-speed craft (HSC2000) Ropax vessel in India and is being built in Goa by Gaurav Cruises. This modern, high-speed craft, built under the IRS flag, will reduce the travel time from 5.50 hours to less than 3 hours, travelling 49 nautical miles, and will be the safest mode of transport in the region. The HSC craft, expected to be operational by January 2023, can ferry 260 passengers, 20 cars and 11 bikes from the ferry wharf and will have A/C, business and VIP classes. It will be a multi-purpose vessel for logistics, travel, tourism and entertainment. Many senior dignitaries from the Mumbai Port Trust, Maharashtra Maritime Board, Directorate General of Shipping, and Indian Register of Shipping graced the occasion. Gautam Pradhan (Director, Gaurav Cruises), said that he was guided and supported by all the Government authorities to make this project a possibility in spite of multiple challenges. He added that this Ropax will be a role model for others to follow. With the ambition to make tourism in Konkan of international standards he said that his resort in Shriwarhan will be accessible in 3.30 hours from Mumbai via Ropax and 45 minutes by chopper from Juhu. Pushkar Bendre (Director, Gaurav Cruises), said that this high-speed craft will change the way tourists travel in western parts of Maharashtra and will bring a much needed change in the travel to Konkan region.

Michael Goh, President, Resorts World Cruises, says, “The response of the launch for Resorts World Cruises in India has been overwhelming. Within two months of opening bookings, we secured over 20,000 cabins from the India market. We are highly optimistic that the fly-cruise demand will continue to be strong in the following years, as we continue to push our offerings to a wider market segment, including MICE.

Costa Cruises is presenting exclusive offers to its travel partners for the first time ever on its 2,3,4 nights cruises ex Dubai and Abu Dhabi from December 2022 on its flagship Costa Toscana. It will highlight these offers in its webinar today at 3 pm. To register, write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532. Registration link:- https://event.webinarjam.com/register/417/k68xntp1

Costa Cruises is presenting exclusive offers to its travel partners for the first time ever on its 2,3,4 nights cruises ex Dubai and Abu Dhabi from December 2022 on its flagship Costa Toscana. It will highlight these offers in its webinar on Tuesday, 12th July at 3PM. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532. Registration link:- https://event.webinarjam.com/register/417/k68xntp1

Resorts World Cruises has officially been launched on board the flagship brand Genting Dream. Colin Au, CEO and Executive Director, Resorts World Cruises said, “We are super excited to officially launch Genting Dream under the Resorts World Cruises brand. We are keen to explore Dubai as a market and will be soon exploring more opportunities to take the Asian cruising experience to the global markets.” Michael Goh, President, Resorts World Cruises said, “We are thankful to all the partners and industry friends for their consistent support and confidence in us. We look forward to your continued support to take Resorts World Cruises to new heights and new markets, together!”

India-focused Cordelia Cruises is planning to pump in $1 billion by 2025 for acquiring at least three cruise ships as it aims to target the domestic market. Waterways Leisure Tourism CEO Jurgen Bailom said with government’s focus and support, the investment from this Indian venture could rise to $1.5-2 billion to meet the growing appetite for cruising by Indians over the next few years. 

Resorts World Cruises, a new Asian luxury and lifestyle cruise brand will have its global debut in Singapore on 15 June 2022 with the Genting Dream. With its inception, Resorts World Cruises aims to position itself as the leading and best cruise line in the region for Asian and internationally sourced passengers, providing diverse international experiences, which can also be customised by the passengers. The 18-deck 150,695 gross tons Genting Dream can accommodate 3,352 passengers, with a generous space ratio of 45 gross tons per passenger, the most spacious ship in Asia. And with 1,600 crew, she will have the best service with the most crew per passenger compared with any other ship in the region. “The Palace” is a ‘luxury ship-within-a-ship’ at the top deck with 142 suites, including its own exclusive restaurant, bar, sundeck, spa, gym and other facilities with butler service. Genting Dream will cater to a wide Asian demographic that will provide an international cruise experience exceeding its peers. Resorts World Cruises is a brand extension of Resorts World, a global brand with 46 properties in 8 countries spanning 4 continents, welcoming over 80 million visitors a year and served by more than 30,000 employees. The latest Resorts World property, the US $4.3 billion Resorts World Las Vegas opened in June 2021, the newest integrated resort and the only one to be built on the Las Vegas Strip after more than 10 years and features a 26,000 sq. feet Singapore-inspired Zouk Nightclub, the latest and most exciting nightlife attraction in Las Vegas. Resorts World Cruises is supported by a management with over 5 decades of international hospitality experience and close to 3 decades of global cruise …

Consolidating the business post the pandemic, Kishan Biyani, Managing Director of the erstwhile Ark Travels announces a complete rehaul and rebranding of the company. Sharing details, he says, “We have rebranded ourselves. The new company is called Ark Travel Group and will expand its focus from not just cruising but also tour packages and representation. So we have four main arms: Ark Journeys, Ark Representation, Ark Tech and Ark Cruises that will be led by different people from the company.”