The Middle East and the Indian Ocean cruise market is growing at a rapid clip when it comes to year-over-year percentage increases for passenger capacity, according to the 2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.
A comeback of sorts in the Middle East combined with a new operator in India means the region will see a 63.5 percent increase in guest capacity, year-over-year, with MSC Cruises leading the way as the biggest operator in the region, followed by AIDA and newcomer Jalesh Cruises.
Jalesh Cruises, under the ownership of Essel Group, launched its cruise program from Mumbai earlier this year aboard the Karnika, which it acquired from P&O Australia where it had been sailing as the Pacific Jewel.
Sailing short cruises from Mumbai, Jalesh is the only operator seriously in the Indian homeport market and sourcing locally, while other operators target India as a source market for fly-cruises.
If successful, Jalesh has openly stated it intends to operate a fleet of vessels, and other operators would be expected to follow it into the homeporting market in India.
MSC’s strong seasonal program for 2019-2020 will include the debut of the 2019-built MSC Bellissima in the Middle East highlighted by a seven-night program and calls into the private destination of Sir Bani Yas Island.
Other operators with strong seasonal Middle East programs include Costa, TUI, P&O and Pullmantur, as well as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Marella.
About the Annual Report:
The Cruise Industry News Annual Report is the only book of its kind, presenting the worldwide cruise industry through 2027 in 400 pages.
Statistics are independently researched.
See a preview by clicking here.
The report covers everything from new ships on order to supply-and-demand scenarios from 1987 through 2027+. Plus there is a future outlook, complete growth projections for each cruise line, regional market reports, and detailed ship deployment by region and market, covering all the cruise lines.
