You must’ve heard of plenty of international sea cruises that take you across some of the world’s most famous cities. However, you’ll soon be able to take a cruise right in India’s Kerala, Goa, and Kashmir. Yes, you heard it right! River Cruise Operator Antara Cruises is planning to launch three new routes in the next five years in India.
River Cruise Experience In India
Three New Cruise Routes In India
Raj Singh, the Founder and Chairman of Antara River Cruises, has stated that the company aims to launch three new routes in Kerala, Goa, and Kashmir in the next five years. He further elaborated that currently, they are thinking about a new route in Goa.
They are also thinking of launching their river cruises in Kerala’s backwaters, where they plan it for a 5 to 6 day river cruise from the north to the south of the state.
The third route on their plan is the Jhelum River in Kashmir that hasn’t seen a river cruise ever before.
About Antara River Cruises
The company, as of now, offers river cruises in Ganga, Brahmaputra, and the rivers of the Bhitarkanika National Park. Included in their massive fleet are the MV Ganges Voyager, MV Ganges Voyager II, MV Ganga Vilas, MV Bengal Ganga, MV Nauka Vilas and 4 catamarans.
The MV Ganga Vilas, one of the premium river cruises, covers about 3,200 kilometers from the holy city of Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh. This route alone touches 50 major tourist destinations and 27 river systems.
Right now, it employs about 300 to 400 people per ship. However, with their existing fleet as well as future plans to expand the same, they aim to create jobs for about 20,000 people in total.
Challenges Lying Ahead Of Antara River Cruises
While announcing new plans and routes seems like an easy task, the company is already tackling a few issues on its hand. The company has stated that a major hurdle in their way is understanding the river. By that, they’re talking about the quantity of the water.
The river water needs to be at an optimum level – not too shallow or too deep for a river cruise to operate smoothly. Moreover, the width of the river, the size of the ship, and other geographical factors concerning the river also determine the new routes.
Singh also stated that one more obstacle in their way is convincing the people of the benefits of the cruise. It is important to convince not just tourists, but also locals about the river cruises, as it will be something unheard of for many.
The company states that they have no plan to expand their business beyond India and Bangladesh as of now. With about 110 National Waterways in the country itself, Antara Cruises does not feel the need to plan for a more global expansion yet.
Summing Up
With cruise ships previously being limited to only seas, it will be interesting to see how Antara Cruises brings the quintessential cruise experience to India’s river waters. With three new routes launching in the next five years, are you too excited to travel on these water routes?
