Photo: Instagram/Antara Cruises
While the cruising industry in the Western world is focusing on solutions for minimizing emissions and even greater onboard entertainment options, other parts of the world are slowly expanding their specific cruising opportunities. The world’s largest and most famous rivers are just as spectacular as its oceans, and definitely worth exploring. While the Nile river takes the lead in terms of length, the Ganges river is one of the most popular spiritual destinations. A historic new cruise rediscovers it the right way.
The lucky passengers currently on board the MV Ganga Vilas (Ganga is the Hindu name of the Ganges river) are not just enjoying a luxurious, comfortable journey throughout India. They are part of history, as the vessel has recently embarked on what claims to become the world’s longest luxury river cruise.
This epic boat ride will unfold over the course of 52 days – an incredible amount of time for a cruise. During this time, it’s set to cover approximately 3,000 miles (5,000 km) across both India and the neighboring Bangladesh. This is a first not just for the country, but for the entire world. The new vessel (which was introduced in 2022) will explore this fascinating region like no other cruise ship had done before.
Un unprecedented river cruise experience, the journey is described as a unique blend of culture, spirituality, and biodiversity, which will allow passengers special access to areas that were hardly visited on this type of luxurious cruise before. Plus, it can also be considered a political statement, due to the fact that it was presented as one of the most important infrastructure projects for the current government.
The Ganga Vilas is only big enough to welcome 36 guests, but manages to squeeze surprisingly luxurious amenities onboard. These include a gym and several massage rooms on the main deck, a lounge bar with panoramic views on the upper deck, and a covered observation lounge with comfortable seating, on the sun deck.
With 48 crew members on board, including a personalized concierge service, the Ganga Vilas is truly a boutique riverboat. It’s the latest addition to the Antara Cruises operator’s fleet, and also boasts advanced technology for minimizing noise and polluting less.
The cruising company hasn’t revealed too many images of the new vessel’s interiors, but it seems that they are very colorful, sporting vibrant shades of magenta, blue, and yellow. The interior decor that’s supposedly inspired by the 1950s art scene in India gives the boat a charming vintage allure, in contrast with its modern luxuries.
Currently at the beginning of its historic ride, the Ganga Vilas was already rumored to have gotten stuck because of the Ganges’ shallow water in certain areas, but government officials quickly clarified that the ship was perfectly fine, and on schedule. There’s still a very long way to go before the end of this epic journey that is set to go down in history.
This epic boat ride will unfold over the course of 52 days – an incredible amount of time for a cruise. During this time, it’s set to cover approximately 3,000 miles (5,000 km) across both India and the neighboring Bangladesh. This is a first not just for the country, but for the entire world. The new vessel (which was introduced in 2022) will explore this fascinating region like no other cruise ship had done before.
Un unprecedented river cruise experience, the journey is described as a unique blend of culture, spirituality, and biodiversity, which will allow passengers special access to areas that were hardly visited on this type of luxurious cruise before. Plus, it can also be considered a political statement, due to the fact that it was presented as one of the most important infrastructure projects for the current government.
The Ganga Vilas is only big enough to welcome 36 guests, but manages to squeeze surprisingly luxurious amenities onboard. These include a gym and several massage rooms on the main deck, a lounge bar with panoramic views on the upper deck, and a covered observation lounge with comfortable seating, on the sun deck.
With 48 crew members on board, including a personalized concierge service, the Ganga Vilas is truly a boutique riverboat. It’s the latest addition to the Antara Cruises operator’s fleet, and also boasts advanced technology for minimizing noise and polluting less.
The cruising company hasn’t revealed too many images of the new vessel’s interiors, but it seems that they are very colorful, sporting vibrant shades of magenta, blue, and yellow. The interior decor that’s supposedly inspired by the 1950s art scene in India gives the boat a charming vintage allure, in contrast with its modern luxuries.
Currently at the beginning of its historic ride, the Ganga Vilas was already rumored to have gotten stuck because of the Ganges’ shallow water in certain areas, but government officials quickly clarified that the ship was perfectly fine, and on schedule. There’s still a very long way to go before the end of this epic journey that is set to go down in history.
“The Ganga Villas reached Patna as per schedule. There is absolutely no truth in the news that the vessel is stuck in Chhapra. The vessel will continue its onwards journey as per schedule” : Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman, IWAI
— IWAI (@IWAI_ShipMin) January 16, 2023
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