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Starry nights and Super Star Libra

By D.K Bhaskar

Mumbai was under siege for over 48 hours with non-stop monsoon showers. After the initial sign of crumbling down, the city which never sleeps was getting back to normal-well almost so. The Sun was out and the people of Mumbai were looking their cheerful best! I was a little hesitant to travel to Mumbai when I got an invitation to sail on a luxury cruise. “Mumbai”, exclaimed my friends; doubts and questions written all over their faces.

Unmesh gave me the confidence that Mumbai was normal in every sense and was going full steam ahead to entertain everyone under the sun. It indeed was the case, I discovered later as the new luxury cruise Super star Libra, was ready to sail in the Indian waters off the Arabian Sea. This ship is one of the many luxury cruises operated by the Star Cruises, based at Mumbai. As our aircraft touched down upon the Chatrapathi Shivaji terminal at Mumbai, a young journalist from a neighboring South Indian state joined me and we started conversing about everything beginning from the politics of Cauvery to the pathetic show of Indian cricketers and the resilience of the Mumbaites.

I arrived at Mumbai port all set to sail on the Super Star Libra, excited about the whole affair. The check in at the port was quite rigorous to say the least and the deck was decorated with colorful flowers and balloons. “Have a nice sail sir”, exclaimed the Malaysian-born young woman at the check-in counter. The formalities were no different from the airport check-in ordeals! This done, I promised myself that I would enjoy myself thoroughly and took a long walk on the Mumbai port in front of the gigantic ship. A big board saying namasthe in Hindi invited all the people on board.

The entrance to the third deck of the ship was nothing short of a hotel reception. Huge black porcelain flower pot with lovely orchids occupied the centre of the deck while other exits led to a restaurant and cabins.  I was told the boat could accommodate nearly 1500 passengers apart from the cabin crew. Well, the crew represented almost half the percentage of total passenger capacity and that is not an exaggeration! The view from my air-conditioned room was indeed fabulous and I could see the Bombay high, the offshore oil exploration platform of the nation. The cabin itself was comfortable and the cushioned beds were tempting me to get that much-wanted rest. However, I decided against it and went to the top deck to witness the molten sunset.

I bumped into many interesting people on board.  While a few passengers were relaxing in the pool, a few others were just lazing on beach chairs and yet others just enjoyed the vast blues of the Arabian Sea! Fishing boats were heading to the shores with their bounties as the sun slowly slipped down from the skyline.  The clouds were playing hide and seek with the Sun and sometimes obstructing its brilliant rays.

The top deck was abuzz with activity, as couples and flocks of merry-makers enjoyed their quiet moments overlooking the tranquility of the ocean. As the sun disappeared over the horizon, the musicians enlivened the deck with their fast and popular numbers.  Sparkling stars slowly lighted the sky as the night progressed and the fifth deck came alive with sensuous movements from Brazilian dancers.  The auditorium was packed with people while bartenders took orders for the beverages, even as the glitzy lights were flashing on the performers on stage.

The performances kept the audience engrossed, even as the ship rocked on the quiet waters of Arabian Sea, sailing further away from the port of Mumbai. The colorful headgears and incredible flexibility of the dancers was mind boggling to say the least! Soon it was time to fill the palettes and we all headed towards the Taj by the bay, a restaurant on board. Following a not too extravagant dinner, I hopped on to the seventh deck and enjoyed the rhythmic beats of the likes of rap and dandia re-mix music. The sheer vigor and involvement of some of the graceful dancers along with their mates would have undoubtedly put professional Bollywood dancers to shame! I was completely bowled over by the agility of a couple, who I later learnt were beyond 55-odd years of age!

It was well beyond normal sleeping hours, precisely 3.00 AM. Beer was still flowing on the deck, while passengers were dying to hit the bed. This was not the case everywhere on the cruise. I could see a few die-hard work-outholics, taking a brisk walk on the sixth deck, while a few others were jogging to make sure they didn’t miss their exercise routine. I was only baffled and gave up analyzing the intricacies of their life and times!

I decided to indulge in the varieties of fresh fruits in the restaurant and enjoyed the brilliance of a beautiful dawn through a small window in my cabin. As our cruise approached the harbor, the sun was rising high up on the skyline increasing the humidity of Mumbai. The reception was abuzz with activity and the crew was settling expensive bills. Farewell hugs and warm greetings were passed on among friends and all those on board and soon it was time to get down the screeching aluminum staircase in to the real world.

As I climbed down the stairs and got off the cruise, I was amazed how refreshed I felt.  Star Cruises need to be commended for their novelty of thought in creating opportunities for people to come by and relax in a special way. Come to think of it, there are so many pubs, clubs and plush restaurants that can give exactly the same kind of ambience but they all lack one thing that could make so much difference to your quality of relaxation-the element of being close to nature. The molten sunsets, romantic nights, the smell of the sea and inspiring dawns in the midst of a majestic blue sea, make Star Cruises a star attraction indeed. If you are a fun-loving, social and yet overworked individual or if you need gift your beloved with that special present, then you should definitely consider Star Cruises as one of your top options!

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