Mumbai gets ready for cruise control

  • | Thursday | 18th October, 2018

On Saturday, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) will throw open its newly refurbished domestic cruise terminal and renovated century-old stone masonary watchtower at Victoria Dock. Besides, a waterfront close to the domestic terminal will also be ready by December 2019, said an MbPT official. Nearly 155 tourist ship services are scheduled to arrive at and depart from Princess Dock between October 2018 and May 2019. "Cruise services can be operated only when the weather is fair. "Around 1.7 lakh sq m of the international terminal will be a free-visiting mall," he added.

MUMBAI: There's some good news for cruise enthusiasts. On Saturday, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) will throw open its newly refurbished domestic cruise terminal and renovated century-old stone masonary watchtower at Victoria Dock. It will also flag off a Mumbai-Goa cruise liner, 'Angriya', from Purple Gate near Ferry Wharf, a stone's throw away.After Saturday's event, the daily passenger handling capacity of MbPT will double to 4,000 from 2,000. Also, the passenger capacity of the existing international cruise terminal is expected to increase by 3,000 by December 2019, following the ongoing expansion projects totalling over Rs 300 crore. At present, the terminal has the capacity to accommodate 2,000 passengers.According to officials, 60% of the Mumbai-Goa cruise trips for the first two months have been booked.The 400-passenger luxury cruise ship will undertake a nearly 15-hour voyage to Goa without any halts three days a week. In Mumbai, Angriya will depart from Ferry Wharf at 4pm and on the return journey, will leave from Marmugao at 9am the next day. Minimum fare is 7,500, including meals and brunch."Cruise services can be operated only when the weather is fair. So, it would be between October and May," MbPT chairman Sanjay Bhatia had told TOI in May.In addition to 104 staterooms/cabins across different categories, the cruise ship will house multiple restaurants with 24-hour coffee shops and bars, a lounge and discotheque, a swimming pool and spa and conference room facilities. According to sources, liquor will be served in the restaurants, but not on the decks.According to national estimates, the number of cruise tourists in Mumbai is set to triple to 1.2 lakh in 2018-19, from a little over 37,000 in 2015-16. Nearly 155 tourist ship services are scheduled to arrive at and depart from Princess Dock between October 2018 and May 2019. The number of services is likely to touch 219 during the next cruising season (2019-20) with the introduction of another private domestic cruise liner.Along with the terminal and cruise ship inauguration, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari , chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and tourism minister K J Alphons will also perform ground-breaking ceremony for reclamation of Jawahar Dweep to enhance its oil storage facility, said Bhatia. A new bunkering terminal will be inaugurated on Saturday, besides handing over of dry dock to Cochin Shipyard Ltd to create and run a ship repair facility, he added. The bunkering terminal will not only enhance ship handling capacity to facilitate more cargo export, but also help 5,000 ships coming to MbPT and JNPT every year to fill their fuel tanks to help Indian oil companies earn more foreign exchange.Bhatia said that soon a roll-on, roll-off terminal with a capacity of transporting 45 vehicles on ships every 45 minutes between MbPT and Mandwa will be opened.He added that MbPT was also in the process of converting its container yard into a marina to facilitate yachting, kayaking and other sailing activities. Mid-2019, around 5,000 Mumbaikars will be able to visit a 'seaside mall' that will come up at the new international port terminal. Besides, a waterfront close to the domestic terminal will also be ready by December 2019, said an MbPT official. "Around 1.7 lakh sq m of the international terminal will be a free-visiting mall," he added.

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