Nautika Prride Launches Luxury Catamaran In Andaman

PORT BLAIR, May 20, 2026: Nautika is preparing to launch Nautika Prride, a 400-seat high-speed catamaran built in India and certified by the Indian Register of Shipping, which will operate inter-island ferry routes across the Andaman Islands. The vessel cruises at speeds of up to 24 knots and offers four travel classes, Luxury, Royal, VIP, and Business, along with two onboard cafés and viewing decks.

Anyone who has taken the older government ferry from Port Blair to Havelock knows what the journey can feel like, long, crowded, unpredictable, and uncomfortable if the sea is anything less than calm. Inter-island travel has historically been the one part of an Andaman trip that does not match the quality of the destination. Nautika Prride is a direct answer to that gap, and at 400 seats, it is the most ambitious attempt yet to change the equation.

What Nautika Prride brings to Andaman island-hopping

The double-hull catamaran platform is built for open-sea stability, a practical necessity on routes where conditions can shift quickly. At 24 knots, it will rank among the faster passenger ferries operating in the Andamans, cutting travel times between islands meaningfully compared to slower conventional vessels.

The four travel classes give passengers genuine choice, not just the illusion of it. Luxury Class and Royal Class sit at the top of the range with premium seating and onboard access to the cafés and viewing decks. VIP and Business Class offer comfortable alternatives at different price points. For a travel market where most visitors are choosing between a basic government boat and a private speedboat with limited capacity, a structured multi-class ferry changes what is actually available.

The two viewing decks are worth singling out. The Andamans' inter-island crossings pass through some of the most visually arresting water in the country, deep blues, clear green shallows, mangrove-lined coastlines. A covered or air-conditioned interior seat is practical; a viewing deck is the experience. Giving passengers the option to stand above the waterline and watch the journey is a design choice that understands what kind of place this is.

Built in India, certified to international standards

Nautika Prride is built domestically and has received approval from the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), India's primary maritime classification body. IRS certification covers structural integrity, evacuation protocols, fire safety mechanisms, and broader operational safeguards, the full range of requirements that a vessel operating on open-sea passenger routes must meet.

The vessel also incorporates dual-hull stability systems designed in line with international standards. Nautika operates under weather-monitoring and sailing protocols in coordination with maritime authorities and regional advisories, a reassurance for travellers who know that Andaman crossings can be rough when conditions deteriorate.

What the launch means for Andaman tourism

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands drew growing visitor numbers through 2025 and into 2026, driven partly by increased air connectivity to Port Blair and a wider awareness of the islands as a premium domestic travel destination. The challenge has always been the same: once visitors arrive at Port Blair, moving between islands comfortably is difficult.

A 400-seat catamaran with premium classes and café service does not just move passengers, it extends the tourism infrastructure to include the journey itself. A couple in Luxury Class with coffee in hand, watching the Andaman Sea from a viewing deck, is having an experience, not just completing a transit. That distinction matters for how the destination as a whole is perceived and priced.

Director's statement on the vessel's ambition

Anoop Kumar, Director, Nautika, framed the launch in terms of where Indian maritime passenger experience needs to go.

"Nautika Prride reflects the future of maritime travel in India, faster, safer, more comfortable, and globally benchmarked. With this vessel, we are introducing a completely new standard of passenger experience to the Andaman Islands."

— Anoop Kumar, Director, Nautika

The phrase "globally benchmarked" is deliberate. Travellers who have taken inter-island ferries in Southeast Asia, Thailand's Koh Samui routes, Indonesia's Gili connections, the Philippines' inter-island catamaran services, arrive at the Andamans with a frame of reference. Until now, what the islands offered in return has not always matched that expectation. Nautika Prride is built to close that gap.

Nautika's place in Andaman maritime operations

Nautika has been among the operators pushing for a more organised, quality-focused approach to inter-island passenger transport in the Andamans. The Prride is the most significant vessel in the fleet to date, larger in capacity, more layered in its class structure, and more deliberately designed around the traveller experience rather than just the operational requirement of moving bodies between jetties.

When it enters service, it will carry 400 passengers at a time across routes that have historically been served by vessels a fraction of its sophistication. For a destination that is actively trying to move upmarket, that is a meaningful upgrade, and one that is long overdue.

Sources: Hotelier India, May 19, 2026; Nautika official announcement; Indian Register of Shipping.