Rising wave

With the success of Zoya Akhtar's lat est star-studded film set on a Mediterranean cruise, tourism operators expected to see a spike in interest for holiday cruises. A leading travel agency even planned a special cruise trip to all the places shown in Dil Dhadakne Do. As expected, queries for cruise holidays surged by 40% in the last month, says Shibani Phadkar, spokesperson, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.
And apart from the hype created by the movie, the idea of spending time on a "floating resort" has seen many takers in the last few years.According to a report by Cruise Liners International Association, over 91,000 Indians took a cruise vacation in 2014, growing 36% annually since 2012. Phadkar says Thomas Cook India has seen a growth rate of over 35% in the segment. The main draw for a cruise is that it sells you an itinerary, not a destination."On a cruise, passengers have an assortment of entertainment options," she says.
This reason finds resonance with frequent cruise goers like Kim Adlakha from Delhi. Having gone on four such holidays, she says a cruise has something for every family member. "They have broadway-like shows, sky-diving simulators, surfing, skating and rock climbing," says the 35-year-old.
Children are a big focus group for cruise companies."One cruise had a Barbie theme, which my daughter absolutely loved," says Adlakha. Tejal Mathur picked her first cruise in December last year based on what it offered her children. "Once we boarded, the kids hardly spent any time with us. The on-board clubs kept them productively engaged," says Mathur.
Besides family holidays, cruises are great for hosting kitty parties, bachelor and hen parties, and anniversary celebrations. "We've even booked honeymoon couples with their families," says Phadkar. Another big seller for a cruise is the hassle-free, multi-country holiday on offer for guests. "In a 9-day cruise, you can visit four countries; that would be difficult on a conventional holiday," says Adlakha, whose favourite trip has been to the Norwegian Fjords. It included a visit to Finland, Iceland and Sweden.
So how much does a floating holiday cost? A 6 days-5 nights cruise could begin at Rs 58,000 per person, including return airfare, says Phadkar. A 2-night package for a cruise to Singapore can come for as little as Rs 15,000, a sum that you would have to part with for one night in a fivestar room in Mumbai.
On the higher end, Adlakha's luxury cruise from Singapore to Shanghai for her family of three, cost her nearly Rs 10 lakh.
The major cost bump for those opting for a cruise is the price of air tickets to an embarking port. "None of the cruises start from India. You need to spend a lot just flying to the city it'll start from," says Indra Deep, co-owner, Tierra Travels.
Mathur flew to Miami to board her cruise ship for the Caribbean. But regulars are not complaining. "It's a beautiful feeling to wake up to the sea every day ," says Adhlaka.
(Inputs from Himanshi Dhawan in Delhi and Reeba Zachariah in Mumbai)