Sudipta Dev – Mumbai
Norwegian company SeaDream Yacht Club has been promoting ultra-luxury sea travel vacations in India. The company has two yachts – M/Y SeaDream I and M/Y SeaDream II that caters to a select and exclusive clientele. “SeaDream is a brand catering to the elite and luxury driven audience. The last three years of operations in India, we have observed that luxury yachting is still at a nascent stage. Nevertheless, we have witnessed a growth in demand for yachting in the country,” said Sudesh Kishore, president, SeaDream Yacht Club, India.
There are many factors that differentiate luxury yacht experiences from cruising. Kishore remarked that the expression ‘yachting’ is not a sentiment about size; it is a statement about lifestyle aboard the small vessels. “Yachting is slow, relaxed and exclusive. With only 112 guests on each ship there are no crowds onboard. Attire is casual, the ship travels at its own pace. They visit small intimate ports, which otherwise a large ship would not have been able to travel to. Yachting voyages include overnight ports,” he pointed out, not forgetting to add that cruising is fast, hectic and for the masses. Ships are crowded and their events onboard are programmed. Attire is ties/ tuxes/ gowns. The ships can visit large crowded ports only and depart ports once at a given time: 6:30 pm.
SeaDream Yacht Club offers unique experiences and itineraries like the newly introduced, 2016 Wine Voyages. “Unlike cruise liners, yachting delivers a feeling of comfort and privacy which is one of the reasons that most of our loyal guests keep sailing with us,” said Kishore, acknowledging that the Indian HNI segment would love to experience voyages that are unfamiliar and exclusive. “Such experiences are unobtainable in India and an advantage to SeaDream to attract such audiences,” he mentioned.
The company has been focused on educating its luxury travel trade partners and target media across India about the unique and exclusive sea travel experiences. “Information about our exclusive offers and voyages are shared with the travel trade and media publications. From time-to-time we also interact with elite guests from our main markets of Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru through interactive sessions,” stated Kishore.
From May-October 2016, SeaDream I and II will sail in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. November 2016 – April 2017, they will visit the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. In October 2016, SeaDream I will sail throughout the French and Italian Rivieras visiting the most secluded and stunning ports of call in the Mediterranean.