Cordelia Cruises takes delivery of Cordelia Sky ahead of October India debut

Cordelia Cruises has taken delivery of Cordelia Sky, the former Norwegian Sky, with the ship now undergoing refurbishment in Turkey ahead of its India debut.

The 2,000-passenger ship was acquired from Norwegian Cruise Line under a long-term lease agreement and will join Empress in the Cordelia fleet.

“The paperwork is done. Now, we make her ours. Welcome to the fleet, Cordelia Sky,” said Jurgen Bailom, President and CEO, Cordelia Cruises, in a social media post announcing the handover.

Following the transfer, Cordelia Sky entered drydock in Yalova, Turkey, where it is being prepared for its new operator before heading to India.

The ship is scheduled to begin its inaugural Cordelia season on 23 October 2026, operating from Mumbai before expanding its programme to include longer Southeast Asia itineraries from Chennai.

Its initial deployment will feature two- to five-night cruises, including sailings to Goa and Lakshadweep.

From June 2027, Cordelia Sky is scheduled to operate seven-night voyages between Chennai and Singapore, with calls in Malaysia and Thailand.

The addition of the vessel will expand Cordelia’s fleet alongside Empress and increase the cruise line’s capacity for both domestic Indian itineraries and international sailings from the country.

The 77,104-gross-tonne Cordelia Sky was originally ordered by Costa Cruises as a sister ship to the 1996-built Costa Victoria. Norwegian Cruise Line acquired the vessel while it was still under construction.

The ship was subsequently completed at Lloyd Werft in Germany and entered service as Norwegian Sky in 1999.

In 2004, it was transferred to Norwegian’s US-flagged operations in Hawaii and renamed Pride of Aloha. The ship operated under that name for four years before returning to the international fleet as Norwegian Sky.

Its 27-year association with Norwegian Cruise Line ended earlier this month following a nine-night Mediterranean cruise.

The ship had also been scheduled to operate a 23-night repositioning cruise to the Middle East before its transfer to Cordelia Cruises, but the voyage was cancelled amid uncertainty around the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.

Instead, the vessel has proceeded to Turkey for refurbishment ahead of its introduction to the Indian market.

The drydock comes ahead of a wider expansion planned by Cordelia Cruises. Former Norwegian Cruise Line vessel Norwegian Sun is also due to join the operator as Cordelia Sun and is scheduled to begin sailing in India in late 2027.