Cruising along Indian shores on Mariner of the Seas

The travelling costs ranges from $100-500 a day; the cruise offers everything from food to entertainment including shopping and sporting activities

With the aim of attracting more Indian customers, Mariner of the Seas, an international cruise ship, carrying about 3,000 passengers cruised to Kochi passing through the ports of Goa to reach Singapore via Malayasia next month.

En route from Dubai, the 138,000 ton ship with 15 decks, part of the Royal Caribbean International cruise liner, was welcomed by Goan cultural troupe while it docked at the port here on Friday.

Deputy Director of Goa Tourism department Pamela Maria Mascarenhas said "we have refurbished the port here for the cruise to dock. Efforts are on to ensure that more cruise vessels dock at Goa as it will bring more cruises and tourists here."

The vessel sails with about 5,000 people on board including passengers and supporting staff.

Captain Rajesh Saigal, senior general manager of J M Baxi and Company, which manages the logistics of this cruise in India, said, "There are 2,947 passengers from different countries and about 1,197 crew members with 1,500 cabins in the ship."

Equipped with 17 bars, clubs and lounges, and other state-of-the-art facilities like duty-free shopping arcades and Broadway style entertainment in the main theatre with 1,362 seating capacity, the 311 metre long Mariner ship is on a 11-day voyage of four countries-- Dubai, India, Malayasia and Singapore.

The ship started on May 21 from Dubai and will reach Singapore on June 1, said Ratna Chadha, Indian representative of Royal Caribbean International. "In the past one year Royal Caribbean Internationale's guest capacity in Asia has witnessed a three-fold increase and our regional cruise offering has been augmented with the arrival of Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas," Chadha said.

Talking about the travelling cost, Chadha said "it ranges from USD 100 to USD 500 a day. The cruise offers everything from food to entertainment including shopping and sporting activities. It has ice skating rink, mini-golf course, a full-sized sports court."

Besides, there is a 'Kids Zone' for children, swimming pools and a chapel with a priest on board.

About the scope of cruise tourism in India she said "there are about a lakh Indian passengers in a year who are opting for cruising on the ocean. But we hope the number will increase in future. There should be more docking facilities available in the country."