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Posted by Sue Bryant Jan 12, 2007 |
Indian Ocean Cruises’ 250-passenger Ocean Odyssey sets sail on its maiden voyage this weekend, calling at Mangalore, three of the remote Lakshadweep Islands, Cochin, Colombo, Tuticorin and Trivandrum. At a special inauguration ceremony, a coconut instead of a bottle of champagne will be smashed on the ship's bow, in the Indian tradition.
Ocean Odyssey is not a new ship; it was built in 1965 but underwent a $5m refit last summer. The capacity is 250 but the cruise line expects to carry around 200 passengers on each cruise. Special permission was required from the Indian government to visit Lakshadweep, so pristine and ecologically unique are the islands, and a special clean-up operation will take place after every call to ensure that passengers leave nothing but footprints.
I'm sailing on this ship in three weeks, so will report back in this blog, but for lovers of islands, adventure and exotic culture, it sounds unmissable. For more information, visit www.indianoceancruises.net.