Recently, my wife, two kids, and I embarked on a Cordelia cruise from Mumbai to Goa, then spent a day at sea before returning to Mumbai. While we were excited about the journey, the overall experience turned out to be just about averagefar from the glamorous image portrayed in advertisements.
Pre-boarding Experience
The coordination for cabin allotment was frustratingly inefficient. Despite making full payment, it took nearly a week to get our cabin confirmation. At one point, a representative changed the plan, forcing me to make frantic calls to get it resolved. The web check-in, supposedly available 48 hours prior, was another hassle. I received six emails back-to-back but couldn’t complete the check-in due to a "back-end" issue. It was finally resolved at the last minute. There was also no clear communication on where to enter the port, which is nearly 5 km long, leaving us confused about which gate to use.
Onboard Experience
1. Staff Behavior
The service lacked warmth and personal touch. Most of the staff seemed mechanical in their approach, treating guests as if they were merely passing through a local bus. The only exception was the female staff from the Northeast, who were consistently polite, cheerful, and welcoming.
A glaring example of poor service was my cabins temperature issue. It was freezing cold, and the knob to adjust the temperature wasnt working. Despite calling reception five times over three hours, nothing was done until a mechanic finally arrived, only to give a temporary fix. The issue persisted for the entire three-day journey.
2. Food & Beverage
The food was disappointing. Not once did we have a meal that was served piping hot. Rotis were left in the open, quickly turning cold and hard to chew. The overall quality was far from what one would expect from a five-star-rated experience. Worse, the menu was almost identical every daybreakfast, in particular, was exactly the same for all three days.
While the package included unlimited drinks, the lack of accompanying light snacks was surprising. Simple items like peanuts or papad wouldnt have cost the cruise much but would have made a big difference. If you wanted to buy something extra, the prices were outrageous. For instance, a single cup of coffee was charged at ₹2, 360, a rate even five-star hotels wouldnt dare to impose.
The bar staff, especially in the Chairmans Club, were cold and uninspiring. I didnt see any enthusiasm in them in making cocktails/ mocktails, although I did not see them making any cocktails on their own. Totally cold like their drinks.
Overall Verdict
The experience was underwhelming. There was little to no connection with the staff, and the trip left no lasting impression. For the price we paid, we expected much more. Even a small farewell gesturelike a token souvenirwould have added a touch of warmth, but nothing of the sort was offered.
Cordelias advertisements create high expectations, but the reality is quite different. Unfortunately, it was a journey we wont remember for the right reasons.