Priyanka Saxena Ray
How has the past year shaped the cruise business in India, and what key shifts have you observed in traveller preferences or booking patterns?
At StarDream Cruises, comprising StarCruises and Dream Cruises, we’ve seen a continued strong growth in India’s cruise market over the past year, with rising interest in the Fly-Cruise and MICE segments. Indian travellers – including millennials and Gen Z—are increasingly drawn to cruises for their all-inclusive value, convenience, and immersive experiences. There’s also growing demand from multi-generational families and corporate groups, making cruises a top choice for both leisure and incentive travel. Shorter booking windows, themed itineraries, and a preference for personalisation highlight the evolving expectations of the Indian market, reinforcing our strategy to offer culturally relevant and flexible cruise options.
With Indian travellers becoming more cruise-curious, which destinations and cruise experiences are currently in high demand from the Indian market?
With Indian travellers becoming increasingly cruise-curious, destinations across Southeast Asia remain highly sought-after, especially among Fly-Cruise guests. Homeports like Singapore continue to be popular, serving as a convenient gateway to regional hotspots such as Phuket in Thailand, and Penang and Melaka in Malaysia. These destinations appeal to Indian cruisers for their cultural richness, shopping, cuisine, and short-haul accessibility. There’s also growing interest in immersive onboard experiences, including themed cruises, entertainment-led sailings, and family-friendly amenities, all of which align with the evolving preferences of Indian travellers seeking both relaxation and enrichment at sea.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season, and how are you preparing to tap into the evolving Indian outbound cruise market?
For the upcoming season, we anticipate continued momentum in the Indian outbound cruise market, particularly in the Fly-Cruise segment. To meet evolving traveller preferences, we are enhancing our offerings with tailored experiences across StarCruises and Dream Cruises. This includes thematic sailings, curated entertainment, and a wide variety of onboard activities. We also cater to Indian tastes with dedicated Jain and vegetarian cuisine options, ensuring comfort and familiarity at sea. Our focus remains on delivering culturally relevant, value-driven cruise experiences that resonate with the Indian market and support sustained growth in this space.
Are there any new itineraries, onboard experiences, or India-specific strategies your brand is introducing to better engage Indian travellers?
To better engage Indian travellers, we’re introducing a range of exciting new itineraries and experiences in 2025 across both StarCruises and Dream Cruises. The Genting Dream will continue to homeport in Singapore, offering popular 2- and 3-Night cruises to Southeast Asian destinations. Our pathfinder ship, the Star Voyager, will launch new sailings including 4 Night cruises between Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, 3 Night sailings to Melaka and Medan, and a summer deployment from Hong Kong (21 June to 31 August) with voyages to Okinawa, Japan, and Taiwan. We’re also expanding in the Taiwan Fly-Cruise market, offering more sailings to Japan. These diverse options reflect our commitment to offering Indian guests a variety of accessible and memorable cruise experiences.
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