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In a significant event aimed at boosting cruise tourism in India, the first-ever international cruise liner in India, Costa Serena is all set to begin its domestic sailings this season. The launch was held in Mumbai yesterday and is a part of the ‘Dekho Apna Desh‘ initiative, aimed at encouraging middle-class tourists to explore more domestic travel options.
The Costa cruise voyages are scheduled to commence on November 4 and will continue operating until January 1.
Costa Cruises is expected to ferry around 45,000 passengers during its upcoming two-month voyages. This development offers an international cruising experience for Indians and also marks a significant step towards establishing India as a premier cruise destination. It also underscores the growing confidence of international cruise liners in India’s burgeoning cruise potential.
Costa Cruises had previously announced the domestic sailings of Costa Serena in November and December 2023. The cruise liner boasts a passenger capacity of 3,780 individuals spread across its 14 decks with a total of 1500 cabins and offers a diverse selection of 10 restaurants.To board these domestic sailings, passengers are required to present their Aadhar Card as part of the boarding process.
Launching the domestic sailings for Costa Serena, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, emphasised on the government’s commitment to putting India on the global cruising map. During the recently concluded Global Maritime India Summit 2023, discussions also revolved around the ambitious goal of attracting 50 million cruise passengers to India by 2047. Given India’s immense potential in the maritime sector, this target is easily achievable, said Sonowal.
“We are offering our full support to the cruise line to home port their ships at Indian ports. We are ready to support further development of our port infrastructure to accommodate large cruise ships. It is a moment of pride for us that when the Mumbai Port completes 150 years, we have Costa coming back to offer domestic cruising options to Indian travellers,” he stated.
“We are bringing to our Indian guests authentic Italian hospitality with a local personalization in terms of food and entertainment. India is an important market for Costa, both for our established Fly&Cruise programs to Dubai and the Mediterranean and our newly introduced local operations sailing domestically. We are grateful to the Indian government for the efforts to support the domestic tourism and on infrastructures development. India is working to develop the cruise industry and we are excited to sail together towards the vision of the Indian government,” said Francesco Raffa Director Asia Region & Growth Markets, Costa Cruises.
“We are looking forward to a great season ahead. With Costa there will be the opportunity of easily accessible cruises with just their Aadhaar card. It will give Indian guests the opportunity to discover the country’s most beautiful locations from a unique point of view. Indians will be able to easily access an experience of vacationing right from home without the hassle of visas, flights while still getting that international holiday experience with the Indian touch,” added Nalini Gupta of Lotus Aero Enterprises.
This year, India also achieved a significant milestone with the launch of the world’s longest river cruise, MV Ganga Vilas, which embarked on a journey from Varanasi, traversing 27 riverfronts to reach Dibrugarh in Assam, with a portion of the route extending through Bangladesh. Notably, this journey attracted the interest of 32 Swiss nationals and piqued the curiosity of both international and domestic tourists about cruising on Indian rivers.
This partnership between TravClan and Resorts World Cruises aims to revolutionise cruise vacations in India and make them more affordable for all. Beyond the conventional sale of cruise packages, this partnership will look at crafting unforgettable moments, discovering uncharted territories and offer the experience of marine luxury to its patrons.
Speaking at the Global Maritime Summit, Minister Sonowal highlighted the cutting-edge infrastructure, advanced technology, and streamlined immigration procedures that have been put in place to enhance the cruise travel experience in India.
In addition to Costa, three more international cruise liners will also begin their domestic sailings in India between November and December 2023.
To boost cruise tourism in India, the Government of India had entered into an agreement with these four globally renowned cruise lines, including Costa, setting a vision for 2041. According to a senior official from the Cochin Port Authority, these cruise ships collectively dominate 80 per cent of the cruise market.
A part of the Carnival Corporation & plc Group, Costa Cruises has 10 ships in service. With headquarters in Genoa and operations at global level, Costa sails mainly on routes in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, North and Central America, South America, the Arab Emirates and the Far East. Costa Cruises had pioneered the introduction of the Mumbai to Maldives itineraries in 2016 and sailed this itinerary until 2020, from Dec to March.
In India, GSA (General Sales Agent) for the Costa Cruises is Lotus Aero Enterprises, led and supervised by its Managing Director, Nalini Gupta.
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