Cruise tourism, Visakhapatnam’s newest tourist attraction

Come June, the port city of Visakhapatnam will start its first full-fledged service with the cruise liner Cordelia Cruise.

The liner’s ship Empress is scheduled to arrive at the Visakhapatnam port on June 8, and will set sail the same night to Puducherry and then on to Chennai. The three-night cruise from Visakhapatnam to Puducherry and Chennai promises to be an unforgettable experience.

The Empress is a destination in itself with five types of double occupancy rooms onboard – Interior, Ocean View, Balcony, Suite and Chairman’s Suite; and facilities such as food court serving the best of both Indian and international cuisines, swimming pool, fitness centre, restaurant, lounges, casino, live shows, Cordelia Academy for Kids, DJ entertainment and rock climbing. The experience will be a fun holiday for the whole family.


The sailing dates are June 8, 15 and 22. The Empress can accommodate 1500 to 1800 passengers. After the initial cruise, many more cruise ships are expected to visit Visakhapatnam port. Though this is not the first cruise ship to visit Visakhapatnam, this will be the first time for the port city to run a regular cruise service.


The tariff starts from INR 48,582 for the Indian standard room, INR 60,3893 for the Ocean View room, INR 1,06,024 for the mini-suite, and INR 1,89,772 for the Suite.

While you are waiting to get onboard the Empress, you might as well explore the wonders that lie within the port city. For beach lovers, Rishikonda and Yarada are great. They are popular choices for holidays at the beach. The decommissioned submarine INS Kurusura is now a very popular submarine museum in RK Beach (Ramakrishna Beach).

1. Why is Visakhapatnam also called Vizag?
   Visakhapatnam was formerly known as Vizagapatnam, hence the name Vizag.
2. When’s the best time to go to Visakhapatnam?
   Summer can be extreme in Visakhapatnam. Visakhapatnam is very pleasant from October to March.
3. Will it be comfortable to cruise from Visakhapatnam in summer?
   Cruise ship is a destination in itself. Almost all cruise ships are equipped with various facilities so that passengers can have all the comforts, without the need to step outside the ship. A holiday in a comfortable environment, even in the harsh summer.