Costa Cruises To Shift To Dollar Billing

Sets Target Of 1000 Pax By Year End

Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai

Costa Cruises is targeting close to 1,000 passengers from India by year end in this growing outbound niche, by shifting to a dollar billing. The company feels that this move will provide a larger access to the Indian market on account of its GSA, Cruise Vacations India. Costa's year round presence in European waters gives it the added advantage of offering Christmas experiences on board.

Inspite of Costa being an European Cruise Company with a pricing structure primarily in Euros, US Dollar pricing has been integrated for greater access to markets such as India for their European sailings. From here on (i.e. for November 2005 onwards) Costa will have USD cruise rates in Asia as compared to the earlier Euro rates.

According to Chandan Kalgutkar, Manager Sales & Promotions, Cruise Vacations (India) Pvt Ltd, "With this conversion we are introducing a new super saver rate called Pronto Rates. The brochure will have two rates, basic MRP and Pronto Rates, wherein the Pronto Rates will be extended based on availability of certain specified cabins. This promotion is bound to be a huge hit because there is a huge difference between the conversion rates. Europe is still a preferred destination and we are providing a premium product at competitive rate." Cruise Vacations India was appointed as an exclusive GSA to promote and market Costa Cruises in India in 2002.

Costa has 11 ships cruising year round and sailing to 90 ports of call. Costa has also recently incorporated two new ports of call in its regular Western Mediterranean sailing itinerary, Tunisia and Libya. The other ports of call are in Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Egypt, Norwegian Fjords, Morocco, Canary Islands and Portugal. Catering to the huge demand, the company is deploying another ship on the Scandinavian belt. Costa has also been introducing a new ship since the last three years, the latest being Costa Concordia, which is 1,12,000 in tonnage and will start sailing this year.