India’s first luxury cruise liner to stop operations

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - MV Aquamarine, the first liner to offer cruises in India, has decided to call off the business, saying charges at Cochin Port were too heavy.

Louis Cruises India, a subsidiary of the world’s fifth largest cruise company Louis Cruises, was to operate the liner out of Kochi from Dec 2, 2009, to April 25, 2010, with three departures a week.

But Louis Cruises India managing director Oneil Khosa Wednesday said his company was unable to handle the huge costs of operations.

“In Colombo, the charge for a day is $4,000, and at Cochin Port, this is $25,000,” said Khosa.

MV Aquamarine has a capacity to carry 1,200 passengers and offers itineraries on the Kochi-Maldives-Kochi and the Kochi-Colombo-Kochi routes, in addition to a one-night high sea-sailing.

Packages start from Rs.5,000 per person per day for a three-night tour.

E.M. Najeeb, chairman of Great India Tour Co — the passenger sales agent of Louis Cruises — told IANS that the liner would make its last journey Jan 16 with 1,050 passengers.

“More than 12,000 people have had a cruise on the liner so far. But charges are very high at Kochi. Colombo port charges around $12,000 for three visits a week but at Cochin Port, it is $75,000. See the difference,” said Najeeb.

MV Aquamarine has 525 state rooms and suites, and among facilities offers several restaurants, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, massage and sauna centre, a casino and duty-free shopping.

The vessel has also been modified to include a cricket pitch — giving Indian travellers the experience of playing their favourite game on the high seas.

Cochin Port authorities in a statement said the rate was fixed by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP), an independent authority to regulate tariffs for vessel, cargo and lease of properties by the country’s port trusts.

“We have been providing a discount of 33.33 per cent on the charges approved by the TAMP. Thus, any further concessions to the vessel would actually result in the port making a financial loss,” the statement said.

Cochin Port said although it had initially notified the operators it intended to levy a passenger fee, this was not done. “The company was not charged for the usage of the dedicated passenger handling shed either.”

It said Louis Cruises had approached the port for further reduction of tariffs, and that it had agreed to look into the request.

“At no time did the company indicate that they would be withdrawing operations attributing the reasons to high port charges,” Cochin Port said, adding that “will continue its policy to attract and support cruise tourism”.