Cruise liner service to Tuticorin

Pacific Princess, a cruise liner, anchored in New Mangalore Port at Panambur, near here, on Wednesday. The ship, which sailed into the port from Phuket, Thailand, had 630 passengers on board, according to sources in the traffic department of the New Mangalore Port Trust.

Off the 630 passengers, 266 passengers disembarked and went on a city tour of in 20 buses. The ship, which left the port later in the day, will touch Mumbai and Goa harbours before coming back to New Mangalore Port on September 3. It will then sail to Chennai before returning to Thailand, the sources said.

Incidentally, Pacific Princess is the first cruise liner to dock in New Mangalore Port this financial year. The port handled four cruise vessels in 2005-06 as against eight vessels during the previous year, said sources. According to sources, the Ministry for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways has decided to create port facilities for cruise shipping at New Mangalore Port in addition to other five ports, namely Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Tuticorin and Chennai. The Ministry of Tourism will give a grant of 25 per cent of the cost of the lounge, estimated to cost Rs. 2.05 crore to this port.

Source : Konkani world