Superstar Libra Kicks Off New Era Of Cruising In India

ET&T Staff - Mumbai

Mumbai, India's busiest port, will now be home to the latest addition to the Star Cruises fleet. SuperStar Libra will offer scheduled cruise itineraries to places like Goa, Lakshadweep and Kochi along India's west coast in addition to one-night weekend get-away cruises.

The cruise liner is the latest addition to the Star Cruises fleet in Asia. About 300 guests and media representatives witnessed its arrival in Mumbai this September. The ship had just completed a three-week dry-dock exercise in Singapore to prepare her for the home porting in India and to cater to the needs of the passenger mix.

The 42,000-gross tonne vessel arrived early morning from Colombo with more than 400 passengers after a 10-day relocation cruise departing Singapore on 14th September calling at Port Klang in Malaysia, Phuket in Thailand, Chennai and Colombo. From the time SuperStar Libra left Singapore till her arrival in Mumbai, a total of 1,690 passengers have cruised on her.

Star Cruises' significant and historical foray into the Indian continent by basing a ship here for the first time, was eagerly awaited amidst the growing awareness and popularity of the Star Cruises brand in the country over recent years.

The regular itineraries being offered in India will not only provide a new holiday option for the Indian domestic market but also present another exciting holiday option for the international fly-cruise market.

Star Cruises is a pioneer in the introduction and development of cruising in the Asia-Pacific region offering a range of products, itineraries and innovative concepts that have appealed to a rapidly growing leisure cruise market. Chong Chee-Tut, Star Cruises' chief operating officer, said, "Vacationers from India ranks in the top three of our passenger mix and the arrival of SuperStar Libra in India is part of the ongoing expansion to cater to the growing demand for cruise holidays in the region."

He added, "We have received encouraging response to SuperStar Libra's itineraries and this trend is set to continue as we intensify our sales and marketing efforts coupled with the support from our travel partners, relevant agencies and authorities in ensuring that our guests enjoy the best possible cruise experience. There were many new lessons and issues that Star Cruises and the relevant authorities had to overcome before her arrival into India since this is a path-finding step for the cruise industry in the country."