A luxury cruise trip for Rs 5000!

Targeting the burgeoning Indian middle class, a luxury cruise liner has begun operations from Kochi, wooing tourists to exotic locales of Maldives and Colombo with ticket rates as low as Rs 5,000.

The Mediterranean-based Louise Cruises, which launched its luxury liner "M V Aquamarine" to operate services on Kochi-Maldives-Kochi and Kochi-Colombo-Kochi routes besdies a one night high seas sailing trip, is hoping that the season would be rewarding.

Kochi is the first non-European base for the 12 strong fleet of Louise Cruises, world's fifth largest cruise operator.

This is the first cruise liner to offer cruises targeted at the Indian tourism market with packages starting from Rs 5,000 per person per day for the three-night tour with rates going upto Rs 90,000 for a Royal Suite, Oneil Khosa, Managing Director of Louise Cruises India, told PTI.

Around 600 odd passengers are undertaking the maiden voyage to Maldives onboard the ship which was flagged off on Thursday.

Saurav Sakle and his wife Prarthana, who arrived from New Delhi to go for the trip, said this was a fabulous tour as Maldives otherwise was an expensive destination.

"This is a good option," 26-year-old Prarthana said. Another young couple Kuldeep Jain from Kolkata and his wife Sangeetha Jain said they had been on cruise trips to the Caribbean and Singapore and were going to Maldives for the first time.