TBM Staff - Mumbai Cordelia Cruises, owned by Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt. Ltd., is expanding its itinerary to include important ports in West Asia starting from June 2024.
Jurgen Bailom, President & CEO, Waterways Leisure Tourism, announced that after commencing international sailings from Chennai to three coasts in Sri Lanka, the cruise operator will now be adding ports in Oman, UAE, the entire Gulf region, Qatar, and Bahrain from Mumbai.
Cordelia Cruises aims to provide more options to Indian travellers by offering three, four, five, and seven-night packages for voyages from Mumbai to West Asia, compared to the current five-night package to Sri Lanka. The approximate cost for these packages would be between INR 11,000 to INR 13,000 per person per day.
Bailom expressed the company’s long-term vision and commitment to promoting India’s maritime tourism industry through the decision to operate international routes. He noted that the number of Indian tourists on Cordelia Cruises has been increasing since its launch, with over 400,000 people having travelled on the cruise line since September 2021. This includes 130,000 travellers on the West coast circuit and 70,000 on the East coast per year.
The CEO also mentioned that global travel numbers have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and there is a positive outlook for tourist potential from India and Southeast Asia. In line with this growth potential, Cordelia Cruises plans to acquire 2-3 vessels larger than Cordelia in the near future, with each vessel estimated to cost around INR 500 crore, which will be financed through internal accruals.
