River cruise operator Antara Cruises is set to introduce three new routes in the next five years, which include the scenic backwaters of Kerala, the Jhelum River in Kashmir and Goa, founder and Chairman of Antara Cruises Heritage River Journeys, Raj Singh said.
Given the growing popularity of river cruises, Singh said, “We are looking at Goa as a new route. We’re also planning cruises on the backwaters of Kerala, where we envision five-six night cruises travelling from north to south. Another route we’re considering is in Kashmir, offering cruises on the Jhelum River for a few nights. These are some of the new areas we are focusing on and targeting.”
Currently, Antara Cruises operates a fleet that includes the MV Ganges Voyager, MV Ganges Voyager II, MV Ganga Vilas, MV Bengal Ganga, MV Nauka Vilas and four catamarans.
The company offers luxury river cruises across India, including on the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the rivers in Bhitarkanika National Park. These cruises take travellers to historic cities such as Varanasi, Kolkata, Odisha, Dibrugarh, and Guwahati, among others.
Of its fleet, the MV Ganga Vilas covers 3,200 km from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam, passing through Bangladesh and touching 27 river systems and 50 major tourist destinations.
Speaking about challenges in operating river cruises, Singh said that one of the biggest hurdles is understanding the river itself. “By understanding the river, we mean assessing the water levels, ensuring that there’s enough water for the ships to navigate, and considering the width of the river, the size of the ship, and how these factors align with water availability,” he said.
Another challenge, Singh noted, is convincing local communities about the potential benefits of the cruise. He added that at present the company has no plans to expand operations beyond India and Bangladesh, despite the possibility of similar ventures in other countries with comparable landscapes. “Currently, we don’t have any plans to operate outside India, as we have about 110 National Waterways, which offers plenty of room for growth within the country,” Singh added.