Sea fever grips Hyderabadis, many board luxury cruiseliners: Most bookings in India come from city
Sarthak.G | TNN | Updated: Mar 29, 2019, 09:40 IST
International cruise line operators say that over the last two years city residents have been going on cruises... Read MoreHolidaymakers from the city have caught on to the trend of going on cruises. Whether it is to celebrate one’s wedding anniversary, birthday or a festival, people from the city are travelling across the globe on cruise liners.
According to sources from the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), people from the city are among a rising number of Indians going on voyages every year.
International cruise line operators say that over the last two years city residents have been going on cruises in Europe, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaska, Galapagos and Singapore.
The number of international travelers heading on cruises from here have gone up by 37% in 2018 as compared to 2017, according to the CLIA sources. Around 22% of cruisers from the city go on family tours, while the rest go on mostly corporate and business tours.
Confirming the spurt in booking for cruise tours from the city, local travels agents said the demand is more for luxury ships which have snazzy restaurants and lodging facilities.
“Higher value bookings for luxury ships come to us more from Hyderabad rather than other cities in the country,” Varun Chadda of Tirun Travel Marketing, representative of Royal Caribbean International Cruises in India, told TOI.
Local travel agents design tours that cost from $180 to $2,500 a person. Fares can go higher in peak seasons depending on the facilities asked for.
Surprisingly, even though Visakhapatnam is closer to the city, people embark on international cruises from Mumbai, Kochi, Dubai and Singapore.
“Talks are going on to boost the infrastructure at Vizag port which is known for operating cruises to Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dhananjay Joshi, assistant director of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority has already written to us in this regard,” said Chadda.
According to sources from the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), people from the city are among a rising number of Indians going on voyages every year.
International cruise line operators say that over the last two years city residents have been going on cruises in Europe, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaska, Galapagos and Singapore.
The number of international travelers heading on cruises from here have gone up by 37% in 2018 as compared to 2017, according to the CLIA sources. Around 22% of cruisers from the city go on family tours, while the rest go on mostly corporate and business tours.
Confirming the spurt in booking for cruise tours from the city, local travels agents said the demand is more for luxury ships which have snazzy restaurants and lodging facilities.
“Higher value bookings for luxury ships come to us more from Hyderabad rather than other cities in the country,” Varun Chadda of Tirun Travel Marketing, representative of Royal Caribbean International Cruises in India, told TOI.
Local travel agents design tours that cost from $180 to $2,500 a person. Fares can go higher in peak seasons depending on the facilities asked for.
Surprisingly, even though Visakhapatnam is closer to the city, people embark on international cruises from Mumbai, Kochi, Dubai and Singapore.
“Talks are going on to boost the infrastructure at Vizag port which is known for operating cruises to Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dhananjay Joshi, assistant director of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority has already written to us in this regard,” said Chadda.
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