One-night @ $100

IN CONVERSATION

in a short interview.

What can Indian holiday makers expect from Star Cruises this year?

For the first time in history a cruiseliner "" SuperStar Libra "" will be stationed in India for the entire sailing season from October to May.

It was relocated from Singapore to India for a brief period last year to gauge the response to cruising, and after an encouraging trial season, we decided it was time to have a cruiseliner dedicated to Indian customers.

What is your sense of the Indian market?

Cruising as a concept has been relevant to a negligible number of travellers, primarily because it used to mean having to fly to Europe or North America to board a cruiseliner and the costs were prohibitive for most. We had an average 60 per cent occupancy and catered to 70,000 passengers in our first season in India.

The market is in a preliminary stage, so the bulk of our passengers last year were there for the novelty of experience. This year we are also going to focus on inbound tourism and potential tourism from Tier II cities.

What are some of the changes you're making to your offerings this season?

Although there is a marginal hike in pricing over last year, mainly due to fuel prices, we have ensured that pricing has stayed competitive and penetrative; the average pricing is $100 per night. We have also tweaked our itinerary a bit.

We discovered last year that a large percentage of our passengers preferred the one-night cruise into the high seas (with no destination), probably because Indian travellers are still getting their feet wet before taking the plunge. So the bulk of our cruises will be one-night-ers. We have also included Goa on the itinerary.

With our onboard service, we have ensured that passengers get the international experience they are promised, so our crew remains only 10-15 per cent Indian, and our entertainment shows are world-class, Las Vegas-style. However, our cuisine will be adjusted to serve Indian tastes, with a strong focus on vegetarian food.

What does the future hold for Indian seafaring travellers?

There are bound to be more players coming in, which will help expanding the overall base of cruisers in India.

Also the East Coast market remains untapped, and as soon as Indians are ready for seven-night cruises, we can contemplate international cruises embarking from Indian ports. For now we're looking forward to turning a profit this season.