Cruise tourism in the country suffered a major blow when cruise major Louis Cruises decided to bring its cruise operations to an abrupt end, after barely being in business for 6 weeks. According to a survey conducted by Shippingbiz360, 88% of the respondents are of the opinion that ending of cruise operations by Louis Cruises is a blow for the cruise shipping segment in the country, whereas 12% of the respondents feel the other way around. It is to be noted that Louise Cruises had made Kochi its home port in India and started cruise operations in the country in December 2009 with its vessel MV Aquamarine.

A negative image for the country

In this context, Joy Jacob, executive director of Century Shipyard Private Limited, a mid-sized manufacturer of ship parts in Kochi says, “Withdrawal of operations by Louise Cruises is not only a blow to cruise tourism in Kerala but the same has also portrayed a negative image of the country. It will definitely have repercussions on cruise business in the country.”

According to an official from Louise Cruises, there were several reasons for which the company halted its operations in India. The most important of them being tariff rates. The company felt that port charges levied by Cochin Port Trust (CPT) were too high for them to bear. However, CPT officials said that the tariff charges are determined by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) and the port tried its best to extend all possible assistance to the cruise major.

Optimism

However, all is not lost as it is expected that the cruise company may return in October 2010, if their problems are resolved. “We are eagerly waiting for Louise Cruises to resume their operations in Kochi. Owing to such an abrupt ending, we have to make refunds to consumers who had bookings in January,” says Kence Georgey, managing director of Eco Trails Kerala, a small-sized service provider of tour packages in Kottayam. During its operations for 6 weeks in the country, Louise Cruises fascinated nearly 12,000 passengers across the country.