It is now official. The Kochi-Dubai passenger ship service that was tried out earlier this month, will now be a regular service, offering a novel and economic option for Indian expats in various Gulf countries.

The first of the regular services between Kochi and Dubai will commence on July 9, officials of the passenger ship service said in Kochi. The service is being operated by the Bahrain-based Tylos Ferry Service and the Kochi-based Royal Group of Companies.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two companies has been signed, putting the seal on the new travelling option for thousands of Indian expats, and possibly some tourists from both India and the Gulf countries.

The ship will travel from Kochi to Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq via Mumbai. The MoU was signed by Tylos chairman Salman Sanad and the Royal Group chairman Tissen Thachankari. The Royal Group will be the general sales agent for the service.

The attractive part for Indian expatriates is the fare, with the minimum ticket rate being pegged at Rs3,750 which is less than a third of the normal airfare from south India to most Gulf destinations.

At the upper end, super luxury cabins are available at Rs12,750 which may even lure some tourists into taking the journey for the sheer pleasure of it. There will be three services per month, two from Kochi to Dubai via Mumbai, and one directly from Kochi to Dubai.

The ship will touch Dubai before it continues its journey to the other destinations in the Gulf.
Adults are permitted 200 kg of luggage while children get to carry 100 kg of luggage per head. Interestingly, the ship will have facilities to carry a range of items including cars.

The Royal Group will sell tickets for the journey at their offices in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. There are also plans to turn the entire service into a tourist attraction and get tourists from the Gulf to Kerala by formulating special packages that include accommodation at hotels here.