The central government in India has granted permission for the launch of a cruise ferry service connecting Kerala and Dubai. 

The new ferry service will operate on the Beypur-Kochi-Dubai route, providing connectivity between Dubai and Kochi, the largest city in Kerala, within just three days and enable Indian expats in the UAE to carry ten times as much luggage at a lower cost than airlines. 

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that the tender process has already been initiated for the ship, which is expected to carry around 1,200 passengers. 

The cruise ferry ticket at around AED450 is expected to cost just one-third of an airline ticket and will provide each passenger with around 200 kgs of luggage.

This project is being spearheaded by the Sharjah Indian Association in partnership with a private company, Ananthapuri Shipping and Logistics Private Limited in India.

Media reports in India suggest the service could be up and running as early as next year if a suitable vessel is found in the coming months.

The cruise ferry service will also feature a wide variety of food items as well as entertainment on board for passengers during its passage between Dubai, Kochi and Beypore (Kozhikode).

This will be the first ferry service between Dubai and India, but is unlikely to be the only one for long, as there is widespread interest in the service. Almost 3 million Indian expats live in the UAE, travelling home on holiday annually.

With most of these expatriates taking their annual leave in one go over the course of several weeks, the three day travel time between Dubai and India is not expected to be a major disincentive compared to airlines.

The UAE is also looking to establish cruise ferry services with Pakistan. Back in 2018 the project was first broached, while in May this year the project was revived.

The UAE wants to launch a ferry service to the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi in order to promote tourism.

There is already a ferry service in operation between the UAE and Iran’s port of Bandar Abbas, but these ships are more basic than the vessel planned for the UAE-India service as it takes just 5 to 10 hours to sail between the UAE and Iran.