There are journeys we take to escape, journeys we take to discover, and then there are those that remind us that sometimes, the next great experience may be waiting much closer to home.

I have always loved travelling. Give me a new city, an unfamiliar coastline, a beautiful hotel, a train journey through another country or a ship cutting through open waters, and I am curious enough to want to see what lies beyond the next door, deck or destination.

So when we were invited to experience Cordelia SKY ahead of her public launch, there was a very different kind of excitement. This time, the journey was beginning right here in Mumbai. And that, for me, made it rather special.

From 21 to 23 October 2026, we stepped aboard SKY for a three-day, two-night FAM experience, getting a first-hand look at the new ship, her accommodation, amenities, dining, entertainment and the people behind the experience.

For someone who has travelled across destinations and experienced cruise holidays in different parts of the world, there was something genuinely heartening about discovering an Indian cruise liner offering an experience that feels contemporary, polished and international — while still understanding the Indian traveller.

Stepping Aboard SKY

There is a particular feeling that comes with walking onto SKY for the first time.

The moment you leave the terminal behind and step into the world of the ship, the holiday begins. Suddenly, the pace changes. There is no traffic, no rushing from one appointment to another and, thankfully, no packing and unpacking every other day. SKY makes quite an impression.

With 1,002 staterooms, 9 restaurants, 11 bars and lounges, two swimming pools, five hot tubs, a sports court, gaming arcade, spa, fitness centre and a 930-seat theatre, there is a lot happening across the ship.

But numbers only tell one part of the story. What interested me more was how all these spaces came together to create a holiday where different kinds of travellers could find their own rhythm. That, for me, is one of the pleasures of being on a cruise. The day can be as busy or as unhurried as you want it to be. You could start with breakfast, wander around the decks, spend some time by the pool, stop for coffee, browse the shops or book yourself a little time at the spa. Or you could simply slow down and do very little at all.

For families, there are dedicated spaces and activities for children and teenagers, while couples can easily find quieter corners to sit, chat or simply enjoy the changing views. There is enough happening around you to keep the day interesting, without ever feeling that you have to participate in everything. You settle into your own pace, discover a favourite corner, return to a place you enjoyed earlier, dress up for the evening or simply watch the world go by.

And perhaps that is what makes cruising so different — the destination matters, but so does everything that happens between one shore and the next.

Our Little Home at Sea

Before exploring everything SKY had to offer, we did what most travellers do the moment they check in. We went to see our room.

Dinesh and I stayed in a Mini Suite on Deck 10, and it became our little home for those two nights. There is something quite lovely about waking up surrounded by water. The room becomes less about simply being a place to sleep and more about being your private pause between everything happening around the ship.

For someone experiencing a cruise for the first time, the cabin is also an important part of the decision-making process. How much space is there? What does the bathroom look like? Where do you keep your luggage? Is there enough room to actually relax?

We tried to look at SKY through precisely those eyes — not just as guests invited to experience the ship, but as travellers asking the questions another traveller might ask before booking.

And yes, we checked the view too. That is almost mandatory.

There Is Plenty To Do — But You Don’t Have To Do Everything

One of the things I enjoy about cruising is that you can make the holiday as busy or as lazy as you want. SKY gives you plenty of options.

There are dining experiences, live entertainment, shows, music, pools, fitness and wellness spaces, activities, sports and places to simply sit and enjoy the sea.

The ship’s Marquee Theatre, with seating for around 930 guests, forms one of its major entertainment spaces, while the wider ship brings together restaurants, bars, lounges and recreational areas.

And then there are the little moments that don’t necessarily appear on a list of amenities. A conversation over a meal. Finding a quiet spot on deck. Watching Mumbai disappear into the distance. Getting dressed for dinner when you realise you have nowhere else to be. Or simply standing by the water and thinking, yes, this is actually happening. Those are the bits of cruising I have always found difficult to quantify.

The Indian Touch Matters

Having travelled internationally, I have experienced the very polished world of global cruise holidays. What I found interesting about SKY was seeing how that cruise framework is being interpreted for Indian travellers. Food is obviously a big part of that — perhaps even more so on a cruise, where dining becomes part of the rhythm of the day.

Cordelia’s offering brings together Indian and international choices, including vegetarian and Jain options, alongside cuisines such as Japanese, Italian and Asian fare. For an Indian traveller, that variety matters. We may be curious enough to try something different, but we also want the comfort of knowing that there will be food that feels familiar. You can explore, experiment and indulge, while still finding the flavours and choices you are comfortable with.

With nine restaurants onboard, dining doesn’t have to feel like a routine of simply getting from one meal to the next. Different spaces and cuisines give you a reason to make meals part of the experience itself. A leisurely breakfast can set the pace for the morning, lunch can be as casual or indulgent as you like, and dinner naturally becomes part of the evening — especially when you are dressing up and heading out to enjoy the entertainment afterwards.

And then there are the bars and lounges, which add another layer to life onboard. A drink before dinner, a relaxed evening conversation, a coffee break during the day or simply finding a comfortable spot to sit and watch the ship come alive — these little pauses are often what make a holiday feel like a holiday. You are not constantly rushing from one attraction to another; you have the luxury of time.

For me, hospitality is where all of this really comes together. A beautiful ship can make an impression, but it is the people who serve, guide, welcome and look after you who ultimately shape how you remember the experience. Throughout our stay, it was that combination of the surroundings, the food, the service and the easy warmth of the crew that made SKY feel welcoming.

And Then the Lights Come On…

If there was one part of SKY that genuinely caught us by surprise, it was the entertainment. The Marquee Theatre is a proper theatre space, and the production value of the shows we watched was far beyond what I had expected from cruise entertainment.

The staging, costumes, choreography, music, lighting and performers all came together with the kind of polish you associate with a professionally produced live show. And much of that comes down to the experienced team behind the entertainment.

Wizcraft Entertainment brings its considerable experience in live entertainment and large-scale productions to the onboard shows, and you can see that expertise on stage. Wizcraft’s work spans live entertainment and experiential productions, and its involvement in SKY is very much about creating a complete entertainment experience rather than simply putting on a performance.

One show in particular — Tu Aashiqui Hai — completely blew our minds. I’m deliberately not saying too much here because I want to give that production its own space in a separate highlight coming up on the blog. It deserves more than a passing mention.

There was also the evening Bollywood song-and-dance entertainment, and that brought a completely different kind of energy into the theatre. Familiar songs. Great choreography. Plenty of colour. A lively audience. And that very Indian ability to go from a relaxed afternoon at sea to dressing up, watching a show and happily singing along to Bollywood songs by evening. It was fun.

And isn’t that exactly what a holiday is supposed to be?

The People Behind the Ship

But perhaps one of the most interesting parts of this experience for me wasn’t a restaurant, a cabin or even one of the many amenities. It was meeting the people behind Cordelia.

We had the opportunity to spend time with Jurgen Bailom, President and CEO, along with members of his management team, and to understand a little more about the thinking behind what Cordelia is building.

Jurgen is not someone who appears to look at cruising simply as putting a ship into the water and selling cabins. There is a business understanding behind the operation, certainly, but there is also a clear understanding of people — how Indians travel, what they value, what makes a holiday comfortable, what makes families return and, importantly, where the Indian cruise industry can go from here.

His experience in the industry is evident in the way he speaks about the business, the traveller and the larger opportunity. What stayed with me was his ability to look beyond the immediate sailing and think about the ecosystem around cruising — the economy, the industry, destinations, ports, hospitality and the people who make the entire experience work.

That is perhaps what impressed me most. Because building a cruise experience isn’t just about the ship. It is about the people who operate it, the crew who look after guests, the teams working behind the scenes and the vision that keeps the ship moving — quite literally and otherwise.

Cordelia says its wider team has grown to around 800 employees and management, and during our time onboard, it was impossible not to appreciate how many people are involved in making thousands of small things work smoothly.

SKY Feels Like a Beginning

There is something particularly satisfying about watching a second ship join an Indian cruise fleet. SKY is not simply another ship added to a brochure. Her arrival gives Cordelia greater capacity and more possibilities for itineraries, while opening the door to a wider conversation about cruise holidays from Indian ports. Her inaugural season is already scheduled to include sailings from Mumbai to destinations including Goa and Lakshadweep, with further itineraries planned as the fleet expands.

And that expansion is what makes this moment interesting. Cordelia has already been building its place in India’s cruise tourism story. SKY takes that story forward. And with Cordelia SUN expected to join the fleet in the future, it feels as though we are watching the beginning of something that could become much bigger for Indian travellers.

From Mumbai, With Love

Perhaps my favourite part of this entire experience is the fact that I didn’t have to fly out of Mumbai to find it.

Mumbai has always been my home. I have travelled away from it often enough to appreciate what other cities, countries and coastlines have to offer, but coming back to Mumbai always has its own pull.

To have an Indian cruise liner operating various vessels across various destinations and itineraries from our city, offering a cruise holiday with the scale, amenities and polish that one might associate with international cruising, makes me genuinely happy. You can drive to the terminal, check in, walk aboard and let the sea take over.

For families, couples, friends, first-time cruisers, seasoned travellers — and even those of us who occasionally just need to get away without actually going too far — that is quite an attractive proposition. For me, SKY was not about comparing one cruise line with another or trying to tick off every amenity. It was about experiencing something new in our own backyard. It was about seeing an Indian cruise experience take another step forward.

And, perhaps most importantly, it was about being reminded that sometimes the most exciting journeys don’t begin at an airport.

Sometimes, they begin at home.

Welcome aboard, Cordelia SKY.

This feels like only the beginning.