YOU NO LONGER need to fly to another country to enjoy a luxury cruise. Several international cruiseliners are docking at Indian shores!
All of us, who are Mercedes Benz fans, have travelled almost everywhere. We have seen glorious sunrises and sunsets, beaches, mountains, low lands, and high lands – you name it! Most of the time we would have flown around or at the most taken a road trip, but today there is something that offers a combination of a holiday within travel – the cruise liner.
Whilst so far cruising was supposed to be an expensive affair, yet today a large number of offerings from international cruiselines are providing a value proposition that’s hard to ignore, and the market is steadily growing. In the year 2012, hardly one lakh Indians went on a cruise, whether as part of a package or otherwise, but today the number is much higher at more than half a million people. The industry estimates of growth are 15 per cent, but more can be attained. Finally, Indians are awakening to a new dimension in luxury travel.
Although there are quite a few cruiseliners in the world, there are some who cater exclusively to Indians. In fact, companies like Costa are positioning their ships like the neoClassica on voyages originating from Mumbai to Male in Maldives, with stopovers in Kochi and Mangaluru. Others like Azamara are starting from Chennai to sail on to Singapore, via Port Blair. These cruises are specifically tailored for Indian guests.
This is not to say that the others are not making an effort to woo the Indian traveller. Royal Caribbean, MSC, Celebrity and a host of others are making a beeline for the high roller Indian, who now wants to travel in luxury to see the world. There is no doubt that cruising offers some unique benefits. The foremost is that you get to see multiple destinations, without needing to check in and out of various hotels or take multiple flights. Just get onto your preferred ship, un-pack and you are good to go for anything between three days to one year – depending on the cruise you choose!
This story is from the October-December 2016 edition of Mercedes-Benz India.
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This story is from the October-December 2016 edition of Mercedes-Benz India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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