Cordelia Sky makes a grand debut with Mumbai premiere sailing on Oct 23
Cordelia Empress begins Kochi sailings; Cordelia Sun expected to join fleet next year
Cordelia Cruises has marked the arrival of its second operating ship, Cordelia Sky, with a premiere sailing from Mumbai on October 21-23 and officially opened its doors. Travel Trends Today (T3) was invited to experience the inaugural sailing. At the same time, Cordelia Empress has also begun sailing from Kochi, adding another homeport to Cordelia Cruises’ India network.
Jurgen Bailom, President and CEO of Cordelia Cruises, said, “Seeing Cordelia Sky and Cordelia Empress sailing together was a very special moment for all of us. Five years ago, we began with a vision to make cruising a holiday choice for more Indians. Today, we have two ships sailing from two homeports, giving our guests more destinations, more itineraries and more ways to experience a holiday at sea. Mumbai has been central to our journey from the beginning, and adding Kochi as a homeport allows us to take cruising closer to many more travellers across India.”
Cordelia Sky accommodates 2,280 guests at full occupancy across 1,002 staterooms, including 245 Mini Suites, 11 Penthouse Suites and four Chairman’s Suites. The ship also brings together new dining concepts, large-scale production shows, live entertainment, sport, wellness and open-air experiences across the day and into the evening.
Cordelia Sky will offer a mix of short and longer itineraries from Mumbai, including 2- and 3-night weekend cruises, 4-night Lakshadweep cruises, and 5-night itineraries combining destinations such as Goa and Lakshadweep.
The Kochi programme includes 2-night weekend sailings, 3-night and 4-night Lakshadweep cruises, as well as a 5-night international itinerary connecting Kochi with Malé, Maldives and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
On infrastructure front, Bailom said Mumbai has one of the most modern cruise terminals in the world, with Goa, Kochi, Vizag and Chennai also upgrading or rebuilding. Diu, Puri and Kolkata are expected next. Cordelia is also developing private destinations, now three in Lakshadweep. Bailom said larger new-generation ships will need more berthing space, so ports and itineraries are as much a constraint as demand.
Cordelia now has Empress and Sky in operation, with Sun to follow next year. Bailom signalled that Sun may arrive earlier than expected during the press conference. He said Sun and Sky together represent close to INR 3,000 crore in spend. The ships come from Norwegian Cruise Line under what Cordelia calls a bareboat charter lease. Bailom described it as effectively a purchase: one year paid in advance, then monthly payments over ten years, and a final payment of USD 1 to transfer ownership.
Chief Financial Officer Nishikant Upadhyay highlighted that Cordelia Empress has 69 mini suites, 200 added cabins in Sky are all premium, and Cordelia Sun, due next year, will have about 450 premium cabins out of 1,002.
Upadhyay emphasised that Indian travellers tend to book the most expensive cabin available and look for three things: a good room, good food and entertainment. Pricing on Sky will follow Empress’s, he said, but average realisation will rise as the premium share grows, much as premium economy and business class lift an airline’s average fare.
In response to T3's question on growth segments, Bailom said the average Cordelia guest is 34 to 35 years old, and corporate and MICE business accounts for 30 to 35% of demand. He said weddings on board are a growing segment. Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kolkata are strong source markets, as is the Kochi, Chennai, Puducherry, and Vizag when the ship sails there. Food and entertainment are adjusted by region. Demand also shifts with festivals, he said, noting that Navratri and Diwali travel patterns have changed from last year.
For 2028, Cordelia plans a 34-day Mumbai-to-Sydney itinerary with Sun, covering seven countries and 16 ports. Bailom added that designed to draw international guests.
Bailom mentioned that since commencing operations in 2021, Cordelia Cruises has welcomed more than 800,000 guests, helping broaden cruising as a holiday choice for Indian travellers. By comparison, he said about 200,000 Indians have cruised internationally over the past 25 to 30 years. He estimated that 13 to 14% of Indians can afford a cruise, about 200 million people, and set a goal of placing India among the world's top five cruise markets by 2032.
