1. Since you have completed 34 glorious years in the hospitality industry (cruise hospitality) what learnings do you bring to Cordelia Cruises.?
After being in the cruise industry for more than three decades, if there is one thing that I have understood is that we as service providers need to identify the needs of our guests/ potential customers and build upon that. There is no one formula that can fit all but if we are looking at the overview, I would say, the approach Cordelia Cruises has taken that has worked out fabulously is – Glocal- Global yet Local. Offering the global level infrastructure, services and amenities along with a local Indianized touch has worked out immensely for Indian Travelers.
2. Since Cordelia Cruises has completed one year in the industry, how do you wish to celebrate the same?
We are more than excited to be returning to our homeport in Mumbai after 12 months of successful sailing along both the East and the West Coast of India and are ready to welcome the upcoming festive season, which started with the Navratri celebrations onboard this year at The Empress. We have a lot of exciting activities lined up all the way to Christmas and New Year and cannot wait to welcome our guests aboard.
We are aiming to meet our customers’ expectations of a perfect cruise and provide them with an experience that is all about comfort, exclusivity and novelty. From dishes that are curated by the top chefs of India to delivering entertainment that beautifully incorporates the Indian culture like classic Indian melodies along with the Bollywood Bash on board and making the experience the best of both worlds, we know what our guests want.
3. What special catering do you offer to your guests?
India is immensely diverse when it comes to food, depicting our rich Indian culture. At Cordelia Cruises, we bring to our guests, dishes that are curated by the top chefs of India to suit the preferences of our Indian guests while also providing dishes that meet International standards to keep the ‘Glocal’- ‘Global yet local’ theme intact. From specifically curated Jain food, global grills, and Indian street food to tandoor specialities, dining will definitely be one of the main highlights of the cruise holiday at Cordelia Cruises for our Indian guests. Additionally, we also offer Pan-Asian cuisine.
4. You collaborated with the biggest entertainment group for your shows, can you tell us what is that about?
STJ Global Entertainment is our partner for entertainment onboard. They are the best in the business and under the Indian audience very well. What they have produced exclusively for the guests on Cordelia Cruises is magnanimous and absolutely enthralling. You have to experience it to believe in the level of production, talent and overall execution. Our guests love every minute they spend watching these shows in the theatre on board. What is truly special is that there is a show for every age group and yes, best of all, every single presentation is created keeping the Indian audience in mind.
5. Which are the ports that Cordelia Cruise covers? Also, how do you wish to expand further in that sector?
In the past 12 months, Cordelia Cruises has flourishingly completed 100+ sailings along both the east and the west coast of India, has covered 7 ports in total including Kochi, Goa, Mumbai, Lakshadweep, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai, has done more than 300 shows while serving 100,000 plus guests on The Empress by Cordelia Cruises.
We are now looking to acquire at least three cruise ships by 2025 to cover the entire Coastline of India.
6. What are the challenges faced while operating such a huge cruise operation?
The challenges are plenty. We are India’s first and only cruise ship, the ports are still understanding our requirements, and skilled professionals are also slowly taking to us. From operations to execution, we face challenges on a minute-by-minute basis. However, we have a military-like function and take every obstacle chin up and continue to move forth maneuvering through it all and sailing the rough seas.
7. What are the two things which you would like to change/ modify in the cruise hospitality industry?
The Indian domestic cruising industry is definitely new yet rapidly evolving and there are definitely challenges that come our way while operating such a huge cruise company like Cordelia Cruises.
What we need right now is:
1. To work together and build beautiful infrastructure to support great experiences.
2. Port access that is well planned will lead to smooth embarkation and disembarkation which in turn contributes significantly to the overall experience that one takes back home.
8. Where do you see yourself taking Cordelia Cruises in the next 2-5 years?
With the ship coming back to Mumbai and looking at the potential of cruising in India, Cordelia Cruises is now also looking to acquire at least three cruise ships by 2025 and encourage the cruising economy in India.
