India on the High Seas

With indulgences and novel experiences designed for desis, India's luxury cruise segment is sailing ahead at full steam

- By SUDIPTO DE and SNIGDHA BHOWMICK

India is witnessing a sea change—literally. Cruise tourism, once considered a niche or luxury segment, is rapidly gaining popularity among Indian travellers. Desi tourists are seeking more than just destinations; they crave experiences. Cruises, that used to be a niche entertainment for people with fat wallets have been democratised. They are offering the middle-class Indian travellers from the Tier-2 cities a seamless blend of leisure, luxury, and entertainment. Aboard the luxurious, 15-deck 'Independence of the Seas', there is little the members cannot have: gourmet dining, Broadway-caliber shows, art auctions, and starlit movie nights by the pool.

Says Bengaluru-based writer Namita Gupta, who embarked on a Europe luxury cruise "We wanted to experience something magical, something larger than life." She chose Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas—the world's largest cruise ship. "It was like floating in a five-star resort. Michelin-level dining, open to sky pool deck, champagne at every hour," she says. To get wet, you don't have to take a dip in the cerulean waters: on board is the 40-foot-long FlowRider surf simulator to ride the 30,000 gallons of water rushing towards you as friends and family cheer you on from a mini stadium seating.