WATER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM & TOURISM

Introduction:- Water transport is the cheapest and the oldest mode of transport. It operates
on a natural track and hence does not require huge capital investment in the construction and
maintenance of its track except in case of canals. The cost of operation of water transport is
also very less. It has the largest carrying capacity and is most suitable for carrying bulky goods
over long distances. It has played a very significant role in bringing different parts of the world
closer and is indispensable to foreign trade.

It is the process of moving people, freight and mails by barge, boat, ship or sailboat over a sea,
ocean, lake, canal and river or by other types of water transportation. Water transport is an
important mode of transport. it is the cheapest means of transporting bulky and perishable
goods over long distances. This mode of transportation is primarily used for the carriage of
people, perishable and non-perishable goods which is generally referred to as cargo. Motor
boat, cargo ship, speedboat, sailboat, yacht, ferry, canoe, raft boat, battleship, cruise ship, jet
ski, wind surfer, river boat, submarine, and tug boat etc.

Water transport can be undertaken either along inland rivers and canals or across oceans. This
distinction is pertinent since the two types have different backgrounds and vary in importance.
Rivers, if naturally navigable, have always been used for transport for many years ago, but only
during the last two hundred years have canals been specially constructed on a large scale
although both Egypt and China do have canals dating back more than 2000 year. Britain
pioneered inland water transport but now has little use for it, owing amongst other factors to
the narrowness and shortness of her canals.

Up to the middle of last century, ocean transport was almost entirely dependent upon sailing
craft and journeys were consequently slow and laborious. Ships too were unsophisticated and
could be divided merely into two groups: warship and merchantmen. Much has changed since
then. Coal powered, subsequently oil-powered vessels were introduced and ships became more
specialized in function. Apart from liners (for passengers), merchant shipping now comprises
of cargo-liners including containers ships, (bulk ore carriers), tramps, coastal craft and tankers.
Sizes too have increased especially for oil tankers which today carry as much as 500,000t dead
weight.

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Although the historic importance of sea travel for passengers has decreased due to the rise of
commercial aviation, it is still very effective for short trips and pleasure cruises. While slower
than air transport, modern sea transport is a highly effective method of moving large quantities
of non-perishable goods. Transport by water is significantly less costly than transport by air for
trans-continental shipping.

Ship transport is often international by nature. It is frequently undertaken for purposes of

commerce, recreation or military objectives. When a cargo is carried by more than one mode,
the transport is termed intermodal or co-modal. Aircraft Carriers can be used as bases of a wide
variety of military operations. It is used for a variety of unpackaged raw materials ranging from
chemicals, petroleum products and bulk cargo such as coal, iron ore, cereals, bauxite. So called
"general cargo" covers goods that are packaged to some extent in boxes, cases, pallets, barrels,
etc. Since the 1960s containerization has revolutionized ship transport.

Before Independence, there were many private shipping companies. But after Independence,
Eastern shipping corporation was established in 1950, in 1956 Western shipping corporation
was set up. In 1961 Indian Shipping Corporation was set up merging the two corporations.

When the Indian government first started to seriously explore inland waterways in 2004, the
share of transport traveling through water was 0.15%. This compared to 20% in Germany and
over 32% in Bangladesh. Both in developed countries and in its neighbourhood, India seemed
to lag behind. The Inland Waterways Authority of India and India are not the only ones, pushing
for this change. In 2009, a World Bank study had similar things to say about a transport
transformation to the use of inland waterways in China, which had already embraced a plan to
deepen the use of its waterways in 2007.

The government is now concentrating on National Waterway 1 along the Ganga, from the sea
upstream till Allahabad, and National Waterway 2 on the Brahmaputra. One problem it is
facing is that there are not many industrial units on the riverside, especially not along the
Brahmaputra. As a recent report – the outcome of a National Policy Dialogue on trans boundary
cooperation related to the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers states, Unfortunately, due to less
or no development of special economic zones along Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, there is
hardly any presence of industries resulting in no cargo commitments by the private players.
This is the biggest impediment for the development of Inland waterways in India.

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Shipping Ministry of India:- The Ministry of Shipping, a branch of the Government of
India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws
relating to shipping. Since 2014 this department has been under Transport minister Nitin
Gadkari. Maritime transport is a critical infrastructure for the social and economic development
of a country. It represents the pace, structure and pattern of development of water transport in
the country. The Ministry of Shipping encompasses the shipping and port sectors which include
shipbuilding and repair, major ports, national waterways and inland water transport. The
ministry has been entrusted with the responsibility to formulate policies and programmes on
these subjects and their implementation.

According to the Ministry of Shipping, around 95 per cent of India's trading by volume and 70
per cent by value is done through maritime transport. India has 12 major and 200 notified minor
and intermediate ports. Under the National Perspective Plan for Sagarmala, six new mega ports
will be developed in the country. The Indian ports and shipping industry plays a vital role in
sustaining growth in the country’s trade and commerce. India is the sixteenth largest maritime
country in the world, with a coastline of about 7,517 km.
The Indian Government plays an important role in supporting the ports sector. It has allowed
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of up to 100 per cent under the automatic route for port and
harbour construction and maintenance projects. It has also facilitated a 10-year tax holiday to
enterprises that develop, maintain and operate ports, inland waterways and inland ports.
India currently ranks 16th among the maritime countries with a coastline of 7,517 km with 13
major ports (12 government and one corporate) and about 200 non-major ports currently
operating in the western and eastern regions of the country. According to the ministry 95% of
India's trade by volume and 70% by value occurs through maritime transport.
The Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said that his ministry
will coordinate with other ministries of Environment & Forests, Tourism, Power and Water
Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for development of transport and
tourism along the river Ganga.

The National Maritime Agenda 2010-2020 is an initiative of the Ministry of Shipping to outline
the framework for the development of the port sector. The agenda also suggests policy-related
initiatives to improve the operating efficiency and competitiveness of Indian ports. Sagar Mala
Project is the new initiative of the ministry.

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Cruise Ships:- A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, when the voyage
itself, the ship's amenities, and sometimes the different destinations along the way (i.e., ports
of call), are part of the experience. Transportation is not the only purpose of cruising,
particularly on cruises that return passengers to their originating port also known as closed-
loop cruises. On cruises to nowhere or nowhere voyages, the ship makes 2–3 nights round trips
without any ports of call.

In contrast, dedicated transport oriented ocean liners did "line voyages" and typically transport
passengers from one point to another, rather than on round trips. Traditionally, a liner for the
transoceanic trade will be built to a higher standard than a typical cruise ship, including
higher freeboard and stronger plating to withstand rough seas and adverse conditions
encountered in the open ocean, such as the North Atlantic. Ocean liners also usually have larger
capacities for fuel, food, and other stores for consumption on long voyages, compared to
dedicated cruise ships, but few are still in existence, such as the preserved liners and Queen
Mary 2, which makes scheduled North Atlantic voyages.

Although often luxurious, ocean liners characteristics that made them unsuitable for cruising,
such as high fuel consumption, deep draughts that prevented their entering shallow ports,
enclosed weatherproof decks that were not appropriate for tropical weather, and cabins
designed to maximize passenger numbers rather than comfort (such as a high proportion of
windowless suites). The gradual evolution of passenger ship design from ocean liners to cruise
ships has seen passenger cabins shifted from inside the hull to the superstructure with
private verandas. The modern cruise ships, while sacrificing some qualities of seaworthiness,
have added amenities to cater to water tourists, and recent vessels have been described as
"balcony-laden floating condominiums.

The distinction between ocean liners and cruise ships has blurred, particularly with respect to
deployment, although differences in construction remain. Larger cruise ships have also
engaged in longer trips, such as transoceanic voyages which may not return to the same port
for months (longer round trips). Some former ocean liners operate as cruise ships, such
as Marco Polo, although this number is diminishing. The only dedicated transatlantic ocean
liner in operation as a liner of December 2013 is Queen Mary 2 of the Cunard Line. She also
has the amenities of contemporary cruise ships and sees significant service on cruises. As of
2017, the world's largest cruise ship was Royal Caribbean International.

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Cruise Line Companies:-

1)Royal Caribbean International:- is a cruise line brand founded in Norway and based
in Miami, Florida, United States. It is owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. As of May 2018,
the line operates 25 ships and has five additional ships on order. RCI has 21.9% of the
worldwide cruise market. All ships under the Royal Caribbean International brand have names
ending with "of the Seas" a practice which began in 1991.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was formed in 1997 when Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, founded
in 1968, and Celebrity Cruises, founded in 1988, was then purchased. The decision was made
to keep the two cruise line brands separate following the merger; as a result Royal Caribbean
Cruise Line was re-branded Royal Caribbean International and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
was established as the new parent company of both Royal Caribbean International and
Celebrity Cruises. A third brand under Royal Caribbean Cruises ownership was formed in 2000
when Island Cruises was created as a joint venture with British First Choice Holidays.

In November 2006, Royal Caribbean Cruises purchased Pullmantor Cruises based in Madrid,
Spain. From there, the company expanded radically with the creation of new cruise lines:
Azamara Club Cruises was created in May 2007 as a subsidiary of Celebrity Cruises, aimed at
French-language customers, in May 2008. Another new cruise line, TUI Cruisers began
operations in 2009. The brand is aimed at a German-speaking audience and is a joint venture
with TUI AG. TUI Travel had previously become the owner of 50% of Island Cruises
following their merger with First Choice Holidays in 2007. In October 2008 Royal Caribbean
Cruises sold their share of Island Cruises to TUI.

2)P & O Cruises:- P&O Cruises is a British cruise line based at Carnival
House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival
Corporation & plc. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first
commercial passenger ships in the early 19th century. It is the sister company of, and retains
strong links with, P&O Cruises Australia. P&O Cruises was de-merged from the P&O group
in 2000, becoming a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises plc, which subsequently merged with
Carnival Corporation in 2003, to form Carnival Corporation & plc. P&O Cruises currently
operates seven cruise ships and has a 2.4% market share of all cruise lines worldwide. Its most
recent vessel, flagship Britannia, joined the fleet in March 2015.

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3) Disney Cruise Line:- It is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney
Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited and is
domiciled in London, England, with their operational headquarters located in Celebration,
Florida. Disney Cruise Line currently operates four ships: Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line
operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in
1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited and is domiciled in London, England, with their
operational headquarters located in Celebration, Florida.

Disney Cruise Line currently operates four ships: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney
Dream, and Disney Fantasy. Three as-yet-unnamed ships will join the fleet in 2021, 2022, and
2023. On July 15, 2017, it was announced at the 2017 D23 Expo that a seventh unnamed ship
will join the fleet. Disney Cruise Line also owns Castaway Cay, a private island in the Bahamas
designed as an exclusive port of call for Disney's ships. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney
Cruise Line Terminal in Port Canaveral, Florida.

In 2018, Disney Cruise Lines had 2.3 percent of the worldwide cruise market by passenger and
2.2 percent by revenue. In 2015, Disney Cruise Lines had 2.8 percent of the worldwide cruise
market by passenger and 2.4 percent by revenue, while in 2011, the company held a 1.95
percent market share.

4)Costa Cruise:- is an Italian Cruise Line, based in Genoa, Italy, owned by Carnival
Corporation & plc. It was founded in 1854, the company originally operated cargo ships, in
order to carry olive oils and textiles from Sardinia to Linguria. In 1924 the company passed to
founder's sons (Federico, Eugenio and Enrico) that started commercial activities, buying the
ship Ravenna. Commercial activities continued until the introduction of passenger services in
1947, with regular services between Italy and South America. The company later converted its
entire fleet to full-time cruising, and as an independent company became one of the largest
cruise operators in Europe. Acquired by Carnival Corporation in 2000, Costa Cruises is now
one of ten brands operated by Carnival and accounts for approximately 16% of its revenue.

Today, as Costa Cruises Group, the company is one of the main operating companies in the
Carnival group, with executive control of the group's activities in Europe. The company is
responsible for operation of Costa Cruises in Italy, and AIDA Cruises in Germany and was
formerly responsible for the operation of Ibero Cruises in Spain. AIDA was previously a

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subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, being transferred to Costa following the merger of
Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess in 2002. Ibero Cruises is a new brand, created in 2007
as a joint venture between Carnival Corporation and Orizonia Groups. The Costa Cruises brand
currently operates fourteen cruise ships, which all sail under the Italian flag and provide cruise
holidays in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Middle
East, South East Asia and South America.

5)Star Cruises:- It is the eighteenth largest cruise line in the world after Carnival
Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises and 15 others. Star Cruises dominates the Asia-Pacific
market and is owned by Genting Hong Kong. Star Cruises is credited with almost single-
handedly developing the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Its foray into the global
shipping market has allowed it to tap into lucrative and more mature markets in North America
and Europe. Its services cater to Asian passengers as well as to North
Americans, Europeans and Australians interested in Asian destinations.

The chairman of Star Cruises is Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, the son of the late Tan Sri Lim Goh
Tong, the founder of Malaysia's Genting Highlands. Star Cruises was founded as an associate
of the Genting Group of Malaysia, incorporated in Bermuda on 10 November 1993 with its
corporate headquarters in Hong Kong. The company's first ships were
two cruiseferries acquired from the bankrupted estate of Swedish Rederi AB Slite. In the
following years, the company purchased several other used ships. In 1998, Star Cruises took
delivery of its first new build, Super Star Leo, followed by sister ship SuperStar Virgo in 1999.
Star Cruises also acquired Sun Cruises the same year.

On 7 October 2013, Star Cruises announced that Star Cruises and their parent company,
Genting Hong Kong, have entered into an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard for the
construction of one new cruise ship for Star. The vessel will have capacity for 3,364 passengers
at double occupancy. The ship will be delivered sometime in Fall 2016. Star Cruises announced
on 10 February 2014, that a second ship was ordered and will be delivered by Fall 2017. Both
ships will 150,000 GT. On 9 February 2015, the first steel cutting ceremony for Genting
World was held at Meyer Werft shipyard. The company announced in March 2018 that one of
its ships, Superstar Libra, would end her public cruise operations for the company on June 27,
2018.

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Types of Cruise Packages:-

1)Airfare Packages:- Airfare packages are the most common type of cruise package
purchased, particularly because most passengers are not fortunate enough to live within easy
driving distance of a cruise departure port. When purchasing airfare through the cruise line as
part of a package, the line typically includes roundtrip transfers between the airport and the
cruise port, allowing passengers to relax rather than stress over shuttle buses and taxi fees.
Another benefit of airfare packages is that if the flight is delayed, the cruise line will work with
the airline to get the passengers to their cruise on time. If passengers arrange their own air
travel, a simple mechanical problem could have catastrophic consequences for the remainder
of their vacation.

2)Pre-Cruise and Post-Cruise Packages:-Pre- and post-cruise packages often involve

hotel stays in or near the departure city for up to several days prior to or after the cruise.
Depending on the cruise line, there may be options to add attractions and other guided regional
sight-seeing as well. Disney Cruise Line in particular has exceptional packages involving
resort stays at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, coordinated with cruises from nearby
Port Canaveral, and guests may choose a variety of packages of different lengths to create their
ultimate getaway.

3)Pampering Packages:-When it comes to cruising, there’s luxury. You won’t find yourself
slumming it, whichever cruise you choose, but if you blow the budget on a high-end line, you’ll
enjoy a whole new level of indulgence. Silversea is one luxury cruise line offering these
ultimate pampering packages, with everything from butler service to premium spirits included
in the cost.

4)Special Event Packages:- Some cruise packages are created around a special event, with
some lines including tickets and transfers to the event and others offering them at an additional
cost. For example, MSC Criuses, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International,
Celebrity Cruises and Star Clippers all offered packages to the Formula One Grand Prix in
Monaco in May 2017, with tickets included, while Fred. Olsen and P&O Cruises offered tickets
as a cruise add-on. If sporting events aren’t your thing, there are other special event cruise
packages to suit every interest. Cunard has a variety on offer, including a special Transatlantic
Fashion Week sailing in September 2017.

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Non-Cruise Line Companies:-

1) Finnlines:- It is a leading shipping operator of ro-ro and passenger services in the Baltic
Sea and the North Sea. The Company is a part of the Grimaldi Group, one of the world’s
largest operators of ro-ro vessels and the largest operator of the Motorways of the Sea in
Europe for both passengers and freight. This affiliation enables Finnlines to offer liner
services to and from any destination in the Mediterranean, West Africa as well as the
Atlantic coast of both North and South America. Finnlines sea transports are concentrated
in the Baltic and the North Sea. Finnlines passenger-freight vessels offer services from
Finland to Germany and via the Aland Islands to Sweden as well as from Sweden to
Germany. The Company has subsidiaries or sales offices in Germany, Belgium, Great
Britain, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. In addition to sea transportation, the Company
provides port services in Finland in Helsinki and Turku, which are the most important
seaports in Finland.

2) Kristina Cruises:- It is a Finnish family-owned shipping company with over fifty years
of experience in cruise business. The company was founded in 1985 and registered
in Kotka. In addition to the five destinations in the early days of business they currently
sail to more than 70 ports. Summer destinations traditionally include several ports of
the Baltic sea, Norwegian fjords and other cities in Northern Europe. In the autumn the ship
usually sails in the Mediterranean, where one week cruises to many different destinations
are arranged. During winter seasons their ships have sailed in Canary Islands and east coast
of Africa. They used to operate two ships, Kristina Regina (1960) made foreign cruises,
often cruising in the Mediterranean Sea and other warm destinations. The second
ship, Kristina Brahe (1943) was used for cruises within the lakes and coast of Finland.
These ships begun to show their age and did not meet the new regulations and have now
been sold. MS Kristina Katarina, originally built in 1982 as M/S Konstantin Simonov, was
the latest ship.

3) Club Cruise:- It was a Netherlands -based cruise ship company, that chartered vessels to
other operators, including Transocean Tours and Phoenix Reisen. The company had also
operated ships under its own brands, first in 1999 on short cruises from the Netherland and
during 2008 in the United Kingdom cruise market under the banner of Van Gogh Cruises.
Club Cruise was reportedly seeking to list itself in the London Stock Exchange.

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4) Silja Line:- It is a Finnish Cruise Ferry brand operated by the Estonian ferry
company AS Tallink Group, for car, cargo and passenger traffic
between Finland and Sweden. The former company Silja Oy—today Tallink Silja Oy—is
a subsidiary of the Tallink Grupp, handling marketing and sales for Tallink and Silja
Line brands in Finland as well as managing Tallink Silja's ship employees. Another
subsidiary, Tallink Silja AB, handles marketing and sales in Sweden. Strategical corporate
management is performed by Tallink Grupp which also own the ships. As of 2009 four
ships service two routes under the Silja Line brand, transporting about three million
passengers and 200,000 cars every year. The Silja Line ships have a market share of around
50 percent on the two routes served.

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Conclusion:- When compared to other transportation industries, it involves low running
cost which makes cheapest among all transportation in long distance. With the help of these
cruise line companies, people can explore various kinds of destinations through water
transport and have different kinds of ships providing different types of services like
accommodation, food, rooms, etc. It depends upon the taste of the person. This
transportation is very useful when huge and bulk cargoes. It even carries large number of
people at a time. India has a large coastal areas and islands but there is no much ships in
India. Hence, developing these type of cruise ships in India may increase the Tourism sector
in India as well.

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Appendices:-

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Bibiliography:-

1) www.cruisecritics.com
2) www.royalcaribbean.in
3) www.costacruise.com
4) www.disneycruise.com
5) www.finnlines.com
6) www.wikipedia.com
7) www.fesco.in
8) www.siljaline.com

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