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Updated - June 28, 2026 at 06:34 PM.

Mumbai Port is steadily sailing onto the global cruise tourism map as leading international operators show growing interest in making the city a key destination.

In the FY27 cruise season, the port has secured eight international cruise voyages from leading global operators, including Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“The participation of luxury and premium cruise lines reflects growing international confidence in Mumbai as a world-class cruise destination,” M Angamuthu, Chairperson, Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), told BusinessLine.

The Red Sea rerouting effect and the restructuring of Gulf itineraries could further enhance Mumbai’s attractiveness as an Indian Ocean turnaround point for repositioned vessels,

MbPA is working to further harness the potential of global cruise tourism. Its forward agenda includes targeted engagement with international cruise lines to attract repositioned vessels affected by Red Sea rerouting, accelerated completion of the Mumbai Marina and expansion of the M2M network.

“We are working in coordination with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on the Cruise Bharat Mission milestones and the development of a national cruise terminal network,” Angamuthu said.

Domestic cruises

Domestic cruise operations have also gained momentum. “The homeporting segment has been the dominant driver of Mumbai Port’s cruise growth trajectory. The deployment of MV Empress, the flagship vessel of Cordelia Cruises, was instrumental in establishing Mumbai as India’s leading cruise gateway,” Angamuthu said.

MV Empress operates regular itineraries connecting Mumbai with Goa, Lakshadweep, Kochi and Chennai, promoting coastal tourism and regional economic development.

Buoyed by the success of its domestic cruise operations, Cordelia Cruises plans to induct another vessel into the Indian market. The induction of MV Cordelia Sky (formerly Norwegian Sky) from October 2026 marks the next phase of this expansion. Cordelia Sky will become the fourth vessel to be homeported at Mumbai, after Angriya, Karnika (Jalesh Cruises) and Empress (Cordelia Cruises).

The consolidation of homeporting operations aligns directly with the Cruise Bharat Mission’s objective of expanding India’s domestic cruise offering and deepening the homeporting base at major gateway ports,” Angamuthu said.

In 2025-26, Mumbai Port handled 2.40 lakh passengers with 95 cruise calls in 2025-26.

Published on June 28, 2026

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