From Singapore to Dubai featuring overnight stays in Cochin, India; Mumbai and Dubai calling on Phuket; Trincomalee, Sri Lanka; Galle, Sri Lanka; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Mangalore, India; Goa (mormugao), India and Muscat with 5 days at sea from $14,299

Virtuoso Voyager Club Exclusive Experience
Complimentary, exclusive and unique Voyager Club event in Mumbai. See Voyager Club Shore Excursion for complete details.

When you reserve this cruise through us, your Virtuoso Travel Specialist, you automatically become a member of the prestigious Virtuoso Voyager Club, entitling you to a wealth of privileges and complimentary amenities - including a unique and exclusive shore event not available to the general cruising public.

NOTE: You may choose this exclusive shore event, credit toward a customized Virtuoso on-shore event, credit toward a Virtuoso Discovery pre/post hotel stay or shipboard credit. Ask us for complete option details.

Ancient yet modern, fabulously rich yet achingly poor, Mumbai is India in microcosm. Mumbai was once a sultry tropical archipelago of seven islands and the Raj's brightest jewel. It was the dowry of the Portuguese Princess Infanta Catherine de Braganza who married Charles II of England in 1661. Today it's a teeming metropolis, the commercial hub of an old civilization seeking to find its place in the New World order. It is the most populous city in India with a population of approximately 20.5 million and the sixth most populous city in the world. It is also the richest city in India.

Our morning begins with a transit of the city showcasing the many highlights that make Mumbai unique. Our drive takes us past the Gateway of India, Mumbai's most famous monument and symbol of colonialism. It was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary. It was originally conceived as an entry point for passengers arriving on P&O steamers from England. Today it is remembered more often as the place from which the British staged their final departure. Next we will make our way to Dobh Ghat where will stop for pictures that we will never be able to duplicate anywhere else. Dhobi Ghat is the vast outdoor public laundry area where clothes are washed by hand, dried on corrugated roofs, ironed by old fashioned coal heated flat irons, and delivered back to their owners in push carts without getting lost. The secret that keeps the operation running smoothly is the coded symbol that is placed on each item. Invisible to the untrained eye, this mark ensures that nothing will be lost.

Our next stop will be Mani Bhavan, Gandhi's Bombay base between 1917 and 1934. It is now a permanent museum and memorial to the Mahatma, and contains a research library of more than 20,000 volumes including a letter to Hitler asking him not to go to war. A series of tiny dioramas tell his life story in an interesting fashion.

We will now continue on to the Church Gate Station where we will see the "dabba-wallah", which means a person with a box, in action. Every day 4,000 members of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, deliver fresh home-cooked food from the 100,000 suburban kitchens, lovingly prepared by mothers and/or wives and delivered to offices in the downtown area. The meals are carried to the hungry recipients dangling from shoulder poles, bicycle handlebars and stacked on decorated handcarts. The tins are rarely, if ever, lost and always find their way home again to be washed up for the next day's lunch.

Mumbai is named after the Mumbadevi, the goddess of the Koli fishermen, the original inhabitants of Mumbai. We will visit a fishing village and meet these tribal people who were the first to inhabit the seven islands that now make up this huge city. For centuries the Koli people have lived in symbiosis with the ocean harvesting the deep sea crops and selling the fish in the market as they still do today. Silently, the Kolis are now falling prey to urbanization and modern development as they struggle to keep their traditions alive.

After, we will make our way to the renowned Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel where a delicious lunch awaits us. Blending aromatic Indian spices and modern cooking techniques, "Masala Kraft" produces flavors that are fresh and delicious. Our meal with be complimented by Indian beer and wine while we are serenaded by live instrumental music.

On our way back to the pier we will drive past the historic Victoria Terminus, the busiest railway station in India that was inspired by the St. Pancras Station in London. This station was built during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year. It is an extraordinary conglomeration of domes, spires, Corinthian columns and minarets. The first train in India left this station in 1853 and today a half a million commuters use the station every day.

Length: 5 hours 30 minutes
Dress Code: Casual and comfortable for hot and humid temperatures.
Walking Notes: Moderate walking with some steps.