Cruise tourism in India has potential to grow 10 fold says Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 15 May 2022 15 May 2022

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has asserted that Indian cruise market has the potential to grow 10 folds over the next decade, driven by rising demand and disposable incomes. “The government of India realizes this potential and is determined to position India as a global cruise hub with state-of-art infrastructure for both ocean and river cruises”, he said after inaugurating the 1st Incredible India International Cruise Conference 2022 in Mumbai today.

Stating that India is a magnificent cruise destination, Shri Sonowal said several attractions of India along its 7,500 km long coastline and vast river systems are yet to be unveiled to the world. He said the global players have evinced a keen interest in promoting cruise tourism in India, and with the development of right infrastructure and adoption of modern technology, India will certainly become one of the top tourism destinations in the world.

Advisory Panel being set up to help the Task Force on Cruise Tourism

Shri Sonowal stated that the Government has set up a Task Force headed by the Secretary, Tourism and Secretary, Shipping for development of cruise tourism. The Minister today announced the setting up of a high level Advisory Committee, comprising national and international experts, to help the Task Force in creating an enabling eco-system for development of cruise tourism in the country.

Invoking Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Sonowal said ‘Transformation is possible through transportation and for that we need to leverage technology’. Emphasising on the importance of Ports, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had said that Port led development can help in developing a comprehensive eco-system of transport and tourism especially in terms of cruise tourism.

Elaborating the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Minister of State, Shri Shripad Naik said ‘Four theme based coastal destination circuits such as Gujarat Pilgrimage tours, West Coast – Cultural and scenic tours, South Coast – Ayurvedic wellness tours and East Coast – Heritage tourism have been developed to activate cruise demand. ‘Lighthouse and Island development is also being undertaken to attract Coastal tourists’ he added. He further said River cruise or Inland cruise is another potential component of cruise tourism that could be explored.

Secretary Port and Shipping Shri Sanjiv Ranjan said, post pandemic the tourism sector in India is growing with resurgence and cruise tourism has registered a 35% year-on-year growth. He said the Government of India has prepared the Maritime Vision Document 2030 with focus on heritage tourism,Ayurveda tourism,coastal tourism,river cruise tourism etc. He said new business opportunities for global cruise liners as well as start-ups were discussed in detail at the stakeholders meeting in the morning.

Government of India initiatives

India aims to increase cruise passenger traffic from 0.4 million at present to 4 million. Economic potential of Cruise tourism is expected to go up from USD 110 mn to USD 5.5 bn in the years to come. In order to boost cruise tourism industry in the country, Government of India has taken several initiatives including infrastructure upgradation, rationalisation of port fees, removing ousting charges, granting priority berthing to cruise ships, providing e-visa facilities etc.

Upgradation and modernisation are being carried out at seven major ports in the country including the flagship New International Cruise terminal coming up in Mumbai with a total cost about Rs 495 crores. The iconic sea cruise terminal coming up at BPX-Indira Dock, is expected to be commissioned by July 2024. The terminal will have a capacity of handling 200 ships and 1 million passengers per annum. Similar infrastructure upgradation is taking place in Goa, New Mangalore, Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata. ‘

About the conference

The 1st Incredible India International Cruise Conference has been jointly organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India and FICCI. Strategies for developing India as a cruise hub, policy initiatives and port infrastructure, potential of river cruise tourism, role of technology in the post-pandemic world are some of the key issues being deliberated at the two day event.

More than 300 delegates representing stakeholders including international and Indian cruiseline operators, investors, industry experts and consultants, senior officials of centre and state governments, ports, maritime boards and tourism boards are attending the conference.

AIDAdiva and AIDAperla offer new products after shipyard visits

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 14 May 2022 14 May 2022

Following its stay in the shipyard, AIDAdiva will start on its first voyage from Warnemünde to the Norwegian fjords on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Over the past few weeks, the cruise ship has been undergoing an extensive refurbishment at the Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH shipyard. From April 25 to May 12, 2022, several areas of the ship were redesigned in addition to regular class and maintenance work.

A new attraction on board AIDAdiva is the restaurant Almhütte. With delicacies from the Alpine region and various beer specialties, there is plenty of fun to be had here in a cozy hut atmosphere.

Wellness lovers can look forward to another novelty at the Body & Soul Spa: The entire wellness oasis has been expanded to include a spacious outdoor area where guests can relax and unwind with a view of the sea. In addition, the fitness equipment has been replaced by the latest generation of equipment and the cyberobics workouts with international star trainers make the hearts of fitness fans beat faster.

With AIDAdiva, AIDA Cruises is offering voyages to Norway and Denmark as well as cruises to Baltic Sea metropolises such as Stockholm and Copenhagen from Warnemünde until October.

Ice cream bar opens on AIDAperla

AIDAperla will end its three-week shipyard stay in Rotterdam on Saturday, May 14, 2022, and set off for Hamburg. The first guests will embark in the Hanseatic city on Monday, May 16, 2022, and will be able to discover numerous innovations on board during their voyage to Norway.

In addition to technical updates and scheduled class and maintenance work, AIDAperla received a visual makeover. In the new ice cream bar, guests young and old can feast on the most delicious types of ice cream. The ice cream masters surprise with delicious ice cream creations from their own production and a wide selection of cakes.

The Body & Soul Organic Spa also shines in new splendor. New on board is a Hypoxi Studio for figure shaping and, as a supplement to the extensive fitness offering, there are now also Cyberobics workouts with international star trainers. A special fashion accessories area for leather goods, handbags and sunglasses has been integrated into the shopping plaza, offering guests even greater shopping pleasure on their voyages.

In the 2022 summer season, AIDAperla will operate 10-night voyages to Norway from Hamburg.

Viking takes delivery of newest ocean ship from Fincantieri

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 12 May 2022 12 May 2022

Viking has taken delivery of the company’s newest ocean ship, the Viking Mars. The delivery ceremony took place this morning when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. The Viking Mars will now make her way to Valletta, Malta, where she will be officially named on May 17, 2022 – Norwegian Constitution Day – by her ceremonial godmother, Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon. The ship will then sail itineraries in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Northern Europe before repositioning at the end of the year for voyages around Australia and New Zealand.

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary and a year of important milestones for Viking, today we are very proud to welcome the newest ocean ship to our award-winning fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Lady Carnarvon has honored us by serving as godmother to the Viking Mars, and we look forward to welcoming guests on board this beautiful new sister ship in the coming weeks.”

Princess Cruises introduces all-inclusive Premier package offering top amenities

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 11 May 2022 11 May 2022

Princess Cruises today announced Princess Premier, a new premium add-on package that offers guests unlimited WiFi for up to 4 devices, premium/top-shelf beverages, photos, specialty dining, and crew gratuities/appreciation. For just $75 per person per day, the inclusive package builds off the popular Princess Plus add-on to offer a more comprehensive bundle and savings of more than 50% when the amenities of Princess Premier are purchased separately. In a unique promotion twist, Princess Premier guests also will be automatically entered into a new onboard promotion for a chance to win a cruise for two every year for a decade and up to $100,000 in cash prizes.

“Guests have overwhelmingly embraced the convenience and value offered in Princess Plus, so we are adding Princess Premier to take our inclusivity options to the next level,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “Princess Premier is our most inclusive package, offering guests sought-after onboard amenities at an incredible value. Whether a guest prefers a standalone cruise purchase or a fully inclusive vacation, Princess has hassle-free options for everyone. Every option is intended to provide great value.”

Princess Premier goes on sale May 25, for voyages starting June 25 and beyond. The package is available for just $75 per person, per day, and includes:
– Unlimited MedallionNet WiFi - for up to four-devices
– New “Premier” Beverage Package – top-shelf spirits and cocktails up to $18 with bar service charge included, new selection of wines by the glass, 25 percent bottles of wine, specialty coffees, smoothies, and bottled water
– Two specialty dining meals per person including popular restaurants like Crown Grill and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria
– Digital downloads of all photos taken by professional staff onboard, plus three prints of any size up to 8 x 10
– Entry into new Princess Prizes on board promotion
– Daily Crew Appreciation

Princess Premier also includes entry into Princess Prizes, a new experience that transforms guests’ stateroom entry into an exciting experience for chances to win cruise vacations, cash, exclusive onboard experiences and more. The new game is a first-of-its-kind stateroom gaming experience exclusively with MedallionClass capabilities.

For a one-time entry fee per stateroom of $20 per day, when purchased separately, every time an adult guest accesses their stateroom with their Medallion*, they will have the chance to win grand prizes that include $100,000 in cash and a cruise for two every year for the next decade, along with prizes won on every voyage that range from a cruise for two in a balcony stateroom, onboard cruise credits from $25 up to $250, wine tastings, and chef’s table dinners. Guests can also win entries for an end-of-cruise drawing in which someone will win at least $5,000 every voyage.
All Princess vacations offer accommodations, world-class entertainment, gourmet dining and the MedallionClass experience. The addition of Princess Premier gives guests three package options when booking a Princess cruise vacation:
– Princess Standard cruise package, including the standard cruise fare
– Princess Plus ($40 per person, per day until May 25; $50 per person, per day starting May 25) –
including unlimited WiFi for a single device; Plus Beverage package (covering drinks up to $12, 25 percent off bottles of wine, specialty coffees, smoothies and bottled water); and daily crew appreciation
– NEW! Princess Premier ($75 per person, per day), on sale beginning May 25
Guests on voyages departing June 25 and beyond who previously purchased Princess Plus can upgrade
to Princess Premier for an additional $25 per person, per day.