New Delhi, Nov 28 (UNI) With the year nearing an end and vacation plans on the anvil, one need not cross the Seven Seas to soak oneself in the leisurely experience of a cruise ship.
Incredible India, in collabration with Louis Cruises, is launching India's first cruise ship, Aquamarine, on December 1.
The four-star cruise will soon anchor at the port of Cochin and will be cruising between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka providing rich experience of a culturally affluent region.
On the occasion, Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said with such a long and scenic coastline India would be a fabulous destination for cruise tourism. ''Our people used to go abroad to enjoy the cruise ships but now it is available here. Even foreigners can also enjoy the virgin coasts of India.'' India announced cruise tourism policy last year only and 'Aquamarine' would be the first cruise ship to anchor the Indian coast. Earlier, a river cruise ship, Pandava, sailed between Kolkata and Varanasi for a brief period.
The Tourism Ministry also provided funds to the Cochin port to develop the required infrastructure to host the cruise ships. ''Since Indian coasts are meant for cargo services only, there is a need to upgrade them for the cruise ships,'' said Ms Selja.
She added, ''We are offering assistance to the port authorities to upgrade the ports and make them comfortable for the tourists.'' Cruise shipping is swiftly growing as a new marketable product with the growth rate of around 12 per cent per annum.
Emphasising the importance of cruise Tourism Industry in providing employment, Managing Director, Louis Cruises India Oneil Khosa said it had generated around 350 million jobs in the United States.
He also informed that the crew of the ship would consist of 40 per cent Indian nationals in order to make customers comfortable in conversing with the crew.
Giving details about the on board facilities Country head, Sales and Marketing Vijay Puthran said Aquamarine would have facilities like spa, gym, swimming pool, duty-free shops, beauty salon, bar and restaurants and specially installed bowling machines to target the cricket crazy people of India.
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