Cordelia Cruises to sail inaugural voyage from Dubai to India in September

The new Indian cruise line Cordelia Cruises, which replaces the now-defunct Jalesh Cruises, has announced that it will sail its maiden voyage this September from Dubai.

Cordelia’s only cruise ship Empress is currently docked at the Dubai Cruise Terminal in Port Rashid, and may be undergoing a refit and refurbishment in Dubai ahead of her maiden cruise, but Cordelia has not confirmed those plans.

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Cordelia Cruises acquired the former Empress of the Seas cruise ship from Royal Caribbean International last year and re-named her Empress.

Empress arrived in Dubai shortly after and has been in lay-up in the city for the past few weeks. She was meant to enter service for the cruise line in early 2021, but those plans were put on hold amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in India.

Now, the cruise line has set September 2nd, 2021 as its launch date, when Empress will sail her first revenue-generating voyage for the cruise line from Dubai.

The 4-day cruise to Mumbai will make a port call in Muscat on the first day of the cruise, before spending two days at sea while cruising for the coast of India. She’ll arrive in Mumbai on September 6th and will then commence a summer season of 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 7-night roundtrip cruises from Mumbai.

Cordelia Cruises was established to continue the legacy of Jalesh Cruises, the first ever domestic cruise line in the country, which was forced to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This is according to Jurgen Bailom, the CEO of Cordelia Cruises, who previously headed up Jalesh Cruises and pioneered the growth of India’s domestic cruise tourism sector before those plans were derailed by COVID-19.

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In a previous press statement, Bailom said he was “continuing the legacy of Jalesh Cruises in upholding the spirit, culture, and value of ‘Incredible India’ and… curating memorable cruise holidays that delight customers”.

The cruise line is offering a number of specials, such as ‘kids cruise free’ deals for passengers under 12.

Empress has been designed by the cruise line to reflect the full diversity of India, with several dining options celebrating its many cultures, such as oriental, continental, Mughlai and Indian street food.

The ship will also feature a special section of Jain Food, “so that you can enjoy a delightful meal while sticking to your dietary preferences,” the cruise line said.

The ship will offer five different bars, a casino, nightclub and theatre where production shows will be staged nightly. Up top, there are several swimming pools, a rock-climbing wall, and a “dedicated area for educational and fun activities for kids of all age groups.”