VASCO
The country’s first domestic cruise ship between Goa and Mumbai is scheduled to arrive at the MPT cruise berth on Sunday morning.
Though the cruise ship, “Angriya, Voyage of Wows” was flagged off by Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Mumbai port on Saturday. The cruise ship is expected to be launched from Goa on Sunday.
According to MPT Deputy Conservator Capt Manoj Joshi, Angriya set sail from Mumbai with 330 passengers on board.
Sources at the Mormugao Port Trust informed that a special dinner party is also planned for the launch of the cruise ship from the International Cruise Terminal at MPT.
“The launching of the cruise ship will also be important as the tourism season of Goa has just begun and the ship could make the most of it to ferry a lot of domestic and international tourists,” said the source.
Sources informed that the Angriya vessel can ferry up to 400 passengers at a time and will make four trips a week between Goa and Mumbai every alternate day.
The travel time could be around 14 hours and travellers can enjoy various amenities while enjoying a stunning view of the sea. This seven-storied cruise ship was operating between Tokyo and Ogasawara Islands and has around 104 rooms divided into eight categories (Dormitory, Deluxe and Luxury). It has two restaurants, six bars, swimming pool and underwater level spa. The ship has 67 crew members.
The tickets could range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000, which includes breakfast, dinner and snacks.
It may be recalled that during the arrival of ship in Goa during a trial run, then MPT Deputy Chairman G P Rai had said the ship would start after operating after the monsoon season.
Stating that the ferry would boost local tourism, he added that the cruise service had received tremendous support from the state and central tourism departments. The MPT will provide logistical support to the domestic cruise ship and the shipping agent for the vessel will be Ben Line Agencies (India) Pvt Ltd at MPT.
When contacted, Ben Line Branch Head Moteush Nazareth said there has been a lot of excitement to handle the first domestic passenger cruise ship.
“We are already excited about the arrival of the ship and this vessel as it will mark a new era of domestic cruise tourism in India. We are the shipping agents and we are responsible for all coordination with MPT on behalf of the ship so that everything is smooth.”
“We are also responsible to provide all specialised services that the vessel may require during her stay in Goa. Travellers can book tickets for this ship on the website www.angriyacruises.com,” said Nazareth.
