New Delhi, April 10, 2008: In a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance, Indiatimes Travel one of the fastest growing online travel portals, has tied up with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC, Italy’s largest privately owned line to provide the Indian travellers endless moments of pleasure, entertainment and a peek into the rich Italian benevolence.  Far removed from the age old concept that cruises are for the rich and the famous, MSC Cruises, the only International cruise brand offers an India specific brochure starting from Rs.25000 per person for a 7 night cruise and FREE travel for children under 18 years. It is through the pleasures of traveling onboard MSC ships, across the seven seas that one can truly unearth the fabulous wonders it has to offer. Stunning Italian décor and architecture, Italian hospitality and the refined "La cucina  Italiana", that combines old world family recipes with new world flair to present to you the ultimate Italian experience. Artistic allure awaits you right from the décor that is punctuated with rich fabrics and works of art, sculptures and graphic works and the floating galleries that offer even full-fledged auctions.
Blending culture and tradition with the modern needs of the day, MSC Cruisesare guaranteed to keep you spellbound every waking hour. Infused with a verdant Italian spirit, a five star experience onboard, non-stop entertainment and that "freedom in movement" feel, MSC Cruises, promise to make your holiday timeless and unforgettable. This exclusive odyssey can be conveniently viewed and booked online on the exclusive section of Indiatimes Travel - www.cruises.indiatimes.com. that offers well orchestrated travel plans across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe:·                                  7 nights Eastern Mediterranean cruise covering Greek Isles, Turkey and Croatia or 7 nights Western Mediterranean itineraries covering Spain, Balearic Islands, Italy, Sicily, France, Malta, Monaco and Tunisia. ·                Northern Europe cruise - a 7 night itinerary covering Scandinavia, Russia and Norwegian Fjords.  These Cruises offer a choice of various ports as a boarding point to the passengers, making it convenient for them to avail the best air connections.Those who believe in spending their vacations in a grand style never had it so good. A rare combination of relaxation getaways and comforts of a world class luxury - MSC cruises is a treasure trove of splendid Italian hospitality and architecture. Indeed an enchanting travel option that comes from the partnership between Indiatimes travel and MSC cruises. Commenting on the partnership, MSC Cruises All India Business Development Manager, Aman Preet Singh Bhatia said, “MSC Cruises is looking forward to a very fruitful partnership with IT Travel, the webpage has been wonderfully designed and would definitely set trends in the marketing of cruises through Internet. The Indian Traveller has matured enough to book high end holidays through the Internet and this partnership would offer a wonderful cruise product to the Indian Consumer through the medium of Internet”  Mr. Dinesh Wadhawan, CEO, Indiatimes.com said, "We are very excited about this partnership. Our endeavour has always been two fold, one to consistently offer thrilling travel deals to our customers and secondly to ensure more and more people, across sections, can avail our travel services. IT Travel and MSC alliance will be a stimulating and trendsetting move for the Indian Travel Industry" The present tourism scenario is brimming with cruise options where there is only one leitmotif – the celebration of life. About MSC Cruises: (MSC Cruises, is Italy’s largest styled cruise line and it is a fully owned subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company which is worlds second Largest Container Shipping Company .MSC Cruises is present in 32 countries and is Headquartered in Naples Italy , today the MSC Cruises fleet consists of 9 stylish ships: MSC Sinfonia, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Armonia, MSC Melody, MSC Rhapsody, MSC Orchestra and MSC Musica and the brand new MSC Poesia which has been delivered this week in a Glittering ceremony in Dover , UK .The building of two additional state of the art ships, MSC Fantasia in 2008 and MSC Splendida in 2009, has also been confirmed. These will be the largest ever built by a European shipowner and will bring the fleet to a total of 11 ships by 2009. MSC Cruises offer Itineraries in Europe, South America, Caribbean and South Africa . MSC Cruises has come to India with special deals and the biggest USP of MSC Cruises is that kids below 18 travel absolutely , making it an immediate hit among the Indian Travelers . ) 

About Indiatimes Travel: Indiatimes Travel, a leading online travel portal, has been a pioneer in launching auctions for Airline tickets.  IT Travel offers its customers a comprehensive bouquet of domestic and international Air tickets, hotels in India and abroad, holiday packages and Corporate and Group travel packages. The site boasts of over 10, 00,000 consumers across India who have used IT Travel services and this number is growing every day!    

For Further Information:Yashmeen BaruaPR HeadTimes Internet Limited, I-World, DLF Phase V, Opp. DLF Golf Course, Gurgaon, Haryana,tel:+91 124 4187000 Ext:2920,Mob:+91 9811699757, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it