Category Archives: Cruises

Travstarz Cruises, the cruise division of Travstarz Global Group, along with Dream Cruises organised a product presentation for travel agents and tour operators in New Delhi. Attended by around 150 agents, the presentation was followed by a networking cocktail and dinner. Pankaj Nagpal, MD and CEO, TravStarz Global Group, said that after starting their cruise division in November 2018, they have seen a great demand for cruise products and since they are the PSAs for Dream Cruises, they wanted to update the members about different products in their portfolio. He insisted that the last season for cruises was quite good and they are hoping to increase it further going forward.

Continuing its focus on developing the cruising market in India, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced that it will organise another edition of its Singapore Cruise Forum on 12 September 2019 in New Delhi. Explaining the idea behind this, GB Srithar, Regional Director (India, Middle East & South Asia), Singapore Tourism Board, says, “We began actively positioning Singapore as a major cruise holiday destination and a cruise hub from 2014-2015 onwards. We have conducted cruise forums in the past, with cruise professionals to provide thought leadership, discussions and networking with cruise lines and intermediaries – in 2017, in Mumbai and in Singapore last year. We are now bringing it back to India.” The theme of this year’s forum will be ‘Growing Cruise Connections – Achieving Together’ and will be an event involving thought leaders and cruise professionals. “We plan to do two to three panel discussions bringing in professionals from the industry including cruise lines and travel agent intermediaries and people who are looking at this cruise industry from a strategic perspective, including CLIA (Cruising Lines International Association). We hope to initiate a dialogue within the industry and expand the mind space about cruising as a holiday option,” Srithar adds.  

306 different destinations in Asia will receive cruise ships in 2019, which is an increase from the 288 destinations in 2018, according to 2019 Asia Cruise Deployment and Capacity Report by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which details Asia’s planned cruise activity in 2019. Many of the destinations – especially India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea – will see growth. Ships in Asia increasingly call at more places, increasing the range of choice for passengers.  The report adds that 2019 will see a total of 1,917 sailings and generate capacity for 4.02 million passengers to cruise in Asia. This year’s total passenger capacity has been reduced by 5.7% year-on-year after several years of rapid expansion. The decline was mainly due to the reduction of short cruise itinerary options from mainland China. Nevertheless, 2019 will still see 79 ships from 39 cruise brands sailing in Asia, a similar level to last year. Port calls to Asia will remain steady this year with 7,154 calls. Asia will also see a slight rise in passenger destination days. The 13 million passenger destination days forecast in 2019 will translate to more potential onshore visits from cruise passengers, creating a stronger tourism impact for the destinations across the region. Joel Katz, Managing Director for CLIA, Australasia & Asia, says, “The popularity of cruising in Asia is expected to grow further over coming years as cruise lines deploy new, larger vessels that have been purpose-built for Asian consumers. The coming generation of ships will replace older ships previously based in Asia, and when coupled with new cruise infrastructure in several Asian destinations are expected to fuel strong interest among travellers. The result …

MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based privately-owned cruise line, celebrated a key milestone by welcoming its 20 millionth cruiser on board the Miami-based MSC Seaside since it started operating purpose-built cruise ships in 2003. Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO, said, “Reaching our 20 millionth cruiser is truly a milestone achievement for MSC Cruises, and a representation of how far we’ve come while building a global brand that serves guests from over 170 nationalities across five continents. With our capacity set to triple by 2027, we will continue to raise the bar in two main areas, on board and ashore, offering our guests a unique experience each time they sail with us. MSC Seaside is the perfect example of this: she is one of the most innovative ships at sea in terms of design as well as onboard experience. She also features the latest and some of the most innovative environmental technology at sea.”

 Vivek Jain, Managing Director, Griffon, a cruise specialist in India, has revealed that it is currently working on developing a portal dedicated to the travel agents. He says, “We plan to launch this portal by Diwali time around October 2019. It will be a B2B website which will have real-time inventory of two to three cruise companies that we promote in India. This will allow agents to log in and get real-time availability of inventory, get real-time rates and even make bookings on time limits. So they will be able to get full information with regards to the availability of these cruise liners. It will also have all the ship information, as well as excursion details which they can use to explain to their clients exactly what to expect on the ships.”   Jain however refused to name the ships that have come onboard for this and added that these names will be revealed at the time of launch. Griffon handle sales and marketing activities in India for various international cruise companies including Pullmantur Cruises, Celestyal Cruises and Oceania Cruises.    

India and the Maldives have decided to launch a passenger-cum-cargo ferry service between Kerala’s Kochi and Male, the capital of Maldives, via Kulhudhuffushi atoll in a bid to strengthen connectivity between the two countries and boost tourism. On his recent state-visit visit to Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih have asked officials to expeditiously work towards starting the regular passenger-cum-cargo ferry service between the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two sides for the establishment of passenger and cargo services by sea. The distance between Kochi and Male is about 700 kms, and between Kochi and Kulhudhuffushi atoll is 500 kms. Addressing the Maldivian Parliament, PM Modi said, “I am particularly happy that we have agreed upon a ferry service between the two countries.”

The Globus family of brands has announced its plans to increase sustainability efforts and reduce waste while also contributing to The Ocean Cleanup: A non-profit organisation focused on ridding the world’s oceans of plastics. As part of its increased sustainability efforts, the Globus family of brands – comprised of Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways – is asking travellers to choose e-documents over printed travel itineraries, prior to their vacations. When they choose the eco-friendly option–eliminating paper and plastic use and waste – the Globus family will donate funds to The Ocean Cleanup to aid in their unprecedented efforts to clean-up the world’s oceans. Over five trillion pieces of plastic currently litter the ocean. If left to circulate, the plastic will impact our ecosystems, health and economies. The Ocean Cleanup has developed advanced technologies to eliminate plastics in our oceans. The non-profit organization has plans to cleanup 50 percent (50%) of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five (5) years. “It’s never been more important for companies to take a role in cleaning up our planet while also reducing and recycling waste,” said Scott Nisbet, chief executive officer and president of the Globus family of brands. “Now, we’re asking our travelers to join us by favoring electronic travel documents over paper ones. When they do, our planet benefits.” In addition to encouraging travelers to get involved with the Globus family’s efforts to support The Ocean Cleanup, Avalon Waterways – the company’s award-winning river cruise operator – is increasing efforts to offer cruisers sustainable, responsible river cruising. As part of these efforts, Avalon Waterways’ fleet of Suite Ships: – Use LED light bulbs, consuming 90 percent (90%) less energy than incandescent …

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its 2018 Asia Cruise Industry Ocean Source Market Report, which says that the number of cruise passengers from India has gone up by a solid 28.1 per cent. Peter Kollar, Head of International Training & Development, CLIA, says, “While actual figures of Indian cruise passengers have risen over the past three years, the scale at which this has occurred has been a little askew mainly due to a low base point – in 2017, a total of 172,400 cruise passengers came from India, while in a report released this week commissioned by CLIA, new consolidated figures show that 220,900 Indians cruised in 2018, up a very strong 28.1 per cent.” The report offers an in-depth look at the growth, demographics and trends of the top source markets in Asia, including India. Asia is the third-largest cruise region after North America and Europe. CLIA’s report on the India market states that 80 per cent of Indians cruise in Asia (up 4.7 per cent), with a considerable fly-cruise market out of Singapore. Further afield, 8.4 per cent are sailing in Europe, while nine per cent are cruising to the Americas with the strong allure of Alaska, Caribbean and South America. One of the remarkable figures for India over the past few years is the average age of these passengers. Overall, India boasts one of the youngest markets in the world, with the average age of an ocean cruise passenger being 37 years old. This figure is one that the local industry is well-placed to capitalise on as it allows time for continued exposure of cruising to the Indian public and grow awareness, and is …

Mazda Travel has partnered with APT to offer their Canada & Alaska tour and cruise programs exclusively to Indian travel agents. Mernoz Shastri, Director, Mazda Travel, says, “We are well-known as the India GSA for the Rocky Mountaineer. It was only logical that we partner with APT who have over 90 years history as Australia’s largest and most successful tour operator. Their award-winning Canada and Alaska tours make Mazda Travel a one-stop shop for Indian agents wanting to offer their clients the trip of a lifetime to this beautiful part of the world.” APT offers unique inclusions in their fully-inclusive programs that include ‘Freedom of Choice’ dining where guests are free to choose when, where and who they dine with from multi-choice menus in a variety of restaurants. ‘Freedom of Choice’ sightseeing allows them to select the activity that best suits their interest from a comprehensive range of options, along with guaranteed view rooms at Fairmont hotels and Resorts, luxurious Wi-Fi equipped coaches and the best tour directors in the business.   Another feature of the APT range is the inclusion of a seven-night Inside Passage Cruise on Holland America Line or Princess Cruise ships. Craig James, Sales Manager, APT, says, “We always have the cruise at the end of your land tour, it’s a highlight amongst many great experiences and it is wonderful to enjoy the land tour but still have the spectacular cruise to look forward to.” APT tours have no hidden extra costs or optional excursions.  All tipping, round-trip airport transfers, porterage, port charges and more are all included in the commissionable price.   Explaining why Mazda Travel chose to partner with APT, Shastri says, “I spend …

Ark Travels has set its target of touching the 100,000-passenger mark by 2020 end. Ark Travels concluded 2018 with 58,000 pax on Dream Cruises. This was announced by Kishan Biyani, Managing Director, Ark Travels at the recently-concluded fourth edition of ‘Big Bang Nautical Fiesta’. It is the biggest cruising event organised by Ark Travels which was held this year from March 3-6, 2019 on-board Genting Dream for the first time ex-Singapore. Organised in alliance with Genting Cruise Lines’ Dream Cruises, Ark Travels promoted the three-night sailing from Singapore (Marina Bay Cruise Centre) to destinations line Penang and Langkawi and hosted 400 travel agents from across India. Biyani adds, “The Big Bang Nautical Fiesta cruising event was planned to educate our travel agents by giving them the first-hand experience while on the cruise ship. The event was to highlight how different experiences like Neon Party, Live Band Performance, Gala Nights can be created to attract different segments of travellers like FITs, MICE and Weddings groups. With all the education program and guided ship tour conducted on board the vessel we are more than sure that this FAM trip will help our travel community to further understand the nitty-gritties of selling cruise vacations to the Indian travellers. Cruise tourism in India is undergoing a phenomenal change with minimum of 15 per cent growth year-on-year. Going forward we aim to reach the golden mark of 100,000 passengers by 2020 end. New cruise ships and itineraries coming in Asia Pacific sectors like Explorer Dream by Genting Cruise Lines will create further opportunities for the trade. Our aim is to host 500+ travel agents on Explorer Dream in 2021 with Alaskan itineraries.” Naresh Rawal, Vice-President, …