The ship
Flagship for Indian coastal holidays
Cordelia Empress is Cordelia Cruises’ familiar flagship (in Cordelia service from 2021): about 49,000 GT and roughly 1,840 guests. She is the former Empress of the Seas, reset for Indian coastal and short Arabian Sea holidays.
Main dining and the buffet are included, with menus that lean Indian coastal as well as international. Specialty grill and restaurant nights carry covers.
Evenings run through theatre shows and lounge music, then disco and casino. She is Cordelia’s festive mid-size flagship — not NCL Freestyle branding anymore, and not a luxury suite ship.
Empress is Cordelia’s flagship for Indian coastal weeks: Bollywood nights, buffet living and a ship sized for short holidays.
On board
Dining, shows, coastal nights
- 01
Dining the Cordelia way
Main dining and the buffet are included, with menus that lean into Indian coastal tastes alongside international plates. Specialty grill and Asian or other paid rooms carry covers — book early if a treat night matters. Drink packages sit outside the simple cruise.
- 02
Shows and Bollywood nights
The theatre runs Bollywood-leaning and variety entertainment. Programmes change by sailing — treat any named show as current-season colour. Lounges and disco corners fill the gaps after the show.
- 03
After dark
Music lounges, disco and the casino carry the evening. Drinks sit outside the cruise. The mood is festive Indian coastal holiday, not a quiet British formal ship.
- 04
Pool and spa
The pool deck takes daytime sun. Spa treatments are extras. Grab shade early on warm sea days. There is no megaship waterpark here — the outdoor plan is pool, views and a spa you might use.
- 05
Who she suits
Families and multi-gen Indian coastal holidaymakers get the most from Cordelia’s entertainment and dining reset. Guests wanting Freestyle megaship thrills or quiet luxury should look at other lines.
Main dining rooms
Main dining rooms are the included plated core on Cordelia Empress. Sit-down meals without a cover. Best for most evenings on Indian coastal weeks.
Buffet
The buffet covers breakfast, lunch and casual evenings. Included once aboard. The quickest seat before a port morning.
Specialty grill / Asian
Specialty grill or Asian rooms are paid nights — quieter than the buffet. Mid-spend specialty. Book early if a treat dinner matters.
Specialty restaurant
The specialty restaurant is a paid occasion night. Mid-to-upper spend versus included dining. Book early on popular evenings.
Theatre
The theatre houses Bollywood-leaning and variety shows on Cordelia Empress. Programme titles change by sailing — check your daily sheet. Included once aboard.
Lounge / disco
Lounge and disco spaces carry music and late dancing after the show. Drinks sit outside the simple cruise. Best when you want the night to keep going.
Pool bar
The pool bar covers daytime drinks and sail-away hours. Grab shade early on warm sea days.
Casino
The casino is the after-dinner gaming room. Included to enter; stakes are your own.
Spa
Spa treatments are extras — not included in the simple cruise. Book ahead on sea days if a massage is your plan.
Café
The café handles coffee and light bites — specialty drinks usually cost extra. Best for an afternoon pause.
Fit
Who she is for
- Guests booking Indian coastal and short Arabian Sea holidays who want Bollywood-leaning entertainment and Cordelia’s dining reset on a mid-size ship.
- Families and multi-gen groups happy to budget drinks and one specialty night on festive sailings.
- Not the ship if you want quiet British formal dining, Edge-class design polish, or a luxury all-suite product.
Where
Where Empress tends to go
Indian coastal itineraries, Lakshadweep-style short breaks and occasional Arabian Sea or longer festive sailings depending on the season.
Treat this as the ship’s range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.
Before you book
What the brochure skips
- Specialty dining, drink packages, spa and Wi-Fi sit outside the simple cruise on most bookings. Price the week as the cruise plus what you will actually buy.
- Compare UK agents on the same Empress sailing — same ship, same date, cruise-only, two guests. The hero price should be the lowest bookable one, not the first logo you recognise.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for Cordelia Empress, or open the live map and see where she is now.