Published by Cruise Passenger Magazine, Australia

Five years ago, a Bollywood movie about a romance in the Mediterranean turned Indians into cruise fans. Up until now, they have mostly done fly-cruises around Singapore and Europe, but India is now developing its very own cruise industry. The world’s second-most populous nation has enormous potential for both river and ocean journeys, and its reputation as an exotic, historic and spiritual destination is set to catapult India onto cruise itineraries. As far as ocean journeys go, Costa already sails to and from India, and Royal Caribbean International is bringing two of its ships, Spectrum of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas, to India’s shores in 2019. Example itineraries include five nights Dubai to Mumbai, nine nights Mumbai to Singapore and seven nights Maldives to Mumbai. Seabourn also offers a choice of luxurious Indian cruises where passengers can immerse themselves in the local culture, interact with the locals, see homes and walk through rural communities around Mumbai, Kochi and Vaikom.