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Cruise through Indian Ocean on the wave of luxury

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, Aug. 10

THE Indian Ocean Cruise Line Ltd today announced the launch of its Indian ocean cruise. Besides leisure, the company will market the cruise for incentives and conferences, according to Mr. Jaswant Lalwani, Chairman and CEO, Indian Ocean Cruise Line Ltd.

The company is registered in the Cayman Islands and is promoted by Mr. Jaswant Lalwani.

Mr. Lalwani was the worldwide marketing head of Cunard Cruise Line and also President of Cunard Asia, where he was developing the cruise industry in the Pacific Rim.

Mr. Lalwani said the company will operate the cruise to the regions where cruises are not frequently operated. These include coastal India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Gulf Coast, Maldives, Andamans and the Lakshadweep Islands and Singapore.

The company has wet leased the ship for $10 millions per annum, for a period of five years, Mr. Lalwani said. The 10,400 tonne luxury liner -- Ocean Majesty -- registered in Greece is around four to five years old and can carry 600 passengers.

The Ocean Majesty will operate a series of cruises in the Indian Ocean starting November 14, 2000, and ending on April 25, 2001. It will begin its voyage from Athens, and travel to locations like Alexandria and Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt, Ashod in Israel a nd Aqaba in Jordan.

In India, the cruise passengers will embark and disembark from Mumbai and Chennai. The ship will touch Goa, Kochi, Mangalore, Tuticorin, Port Blair and Kadmat.

Internationally, the ship will cruise to ports like Colombo, Singapore, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Phuket, and to the shopping havens in the Gulf -- Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain.

Designed as per international standards, the vessel has an all European staff. It has eight passenger decks, a show lounge for revues, cabaret, live entertainment and a casino. The other features are an observation lounge which provides a show of the nig ht sky, swimming pool, sauna and a beauty salon.

The ship has 300 double rooms and a variety of Continental, Indian, Arabian and Mediterranean cuisine to choose from. The cruise-only pricing for two starts from Rs. 40,000 for four nights from Dubai to Mumbai and Rs. 85,000 for seven nights from Chennai to Singapore.

The company has entered into a strategic alliance with the Taj Group of Hotels to provide on-shore hospitality. Taj has also reserved an option to take an equity stake at a later date, Mr. Lalwani said.

The Travel Corporation (India) Ltd has been appointed as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for India while Page & Moy of the UK is marketing the Ocean Majesty overseas.

Various tour and stopover options to enjoy a glimpse of India are being offered by TCI to passengers as pre- and post-cruise options from Mumbai and Chennai. These include tours to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Kathmandu. Passengers availing of these tours wil l stay at Taj hotels located in these locations. Pre- and post option are also offered in Dubai, Singapore and Athens.

Mr. Lalwani said the cruise industry, according to industry estimates, has a short-term cumulative market potential of around $70 billions, and in 1999, the industry growth was nine per cent. Over five lakh people set sail last year and the number is ris ing exponentially, he said.

Mr. Lalwani said cruising in the Caribbean and Mediterranean is saturated and the Indian Ocean offers winter cruising in warm weather.