Cordelia's Bid To Put India On The Global Cruise Tourism Map

There is something different about waking up in the middle of the sea, with no familiar coastline in sight and no mobile network to pull you back into your routine. Aboard Cordelia Sky, the experience felt quite unlike a regular holiday.

Between Bollywood Nights, onboard entertainment, spacious rooms and exceptionally generous staff, there was little reason to look for things to do outside the ship. It was a different kind of adventure, one that offered an international holiday experience without having to leave India. And that is the experience Cordelia Cruises hopes to sell to more Indians.

The company recently expanded its fleet with Cordelia Sky, which began sailing from Mumbai on October 23, while its existing vessel, Cordelia Empress, moved to Kochi. This is the first time the company is operating two ships from two Indian homeports simultaneously.

According to Cordelia, nearly 6,000 guests embarked and disembarked across the two ships during the Mumbai port turnaround. Sky brings more than additional capacity. It accommodates 2,280 guests across 1,002 staterooms, including 245 Mini Suites, 11 Penthouse Suites and four Chairman's Suites.

The ship also offers multiple dining options, large-scale production shows, live entertainment, sports, wellness facilities and open-air experiences. Its itineraries include short weekend sailings, four-night Lakshadweep cruises and longer journeys covering Goa and Lakshadweep.

Building a Cruise Around the Indian Traveller

For Cordelia, understanding the Indian traveller is central to this proposition. Speaking to Outlook Business, Nishikant Upadhyay, CFO Cordelia Cruise, said the company had learnt what Indian consumers look for: familiar food, comfortable cabins and entertainment.

From North and South Indian cuisine to Bollywood and regional shows, the idea is to make the experience feel familiar even when the setting is different. The company is also betting that customers will pay more for accommodation. Upadhyay said Empress had around 69 premium cabins, while Sky offers approximately 260. He pushed back against the assumption that Indians are unwilling to spend on luxury, pointing to their preference for premium cabins when travelling overseas. Cordelia Sun, expected to join the fleet next year, is planned to have around 450 premium cabins.

The larger question, however, is whether demand can keep pace with this expansion. Cruise ships involve substantial expenses, from fuel and maintenance to crew, port charges, and onboard operations. Adding cabins makes commercial sense only if enough passengers are willing to pay. Upadhyay sees considerable room for growth.

He estimated that India could potentially generate 20 crore cruise passengers annually, compared with his estimate of four crore people cruising each year globally. These are company projections, but they underline the opportunity Cordelia believes exists in a country with a coastline of around 11,500 km.

India's Growing Cruise Tourism Opportunity

The company is also looking towards Lakshadweep, where the CFO said two vessels would together carry around 4,500 passengers weekly. He believes these visits can generate revenue for local communities through shore excursions and other activities.

The government's Cruise Bharat Mission, which targets one million sea-cruise tourists by 2029, could support the sector through better ports and infrastructure. India recorded 4.92 lakh cruise passengers and 272 cruise calls in FY2024–25, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

For Cordelia, the next challenge is to turn curiosity into sustained demand. More ships and destinations may bring greater choice, but the real test will be whether Indian travellers return for another holiday at sea.