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Domestic cruise tourism to Goa resumes, international cruises to follow suit
Mormugao Port Authority chairman Akkaraju Venkata Ramana said the international cruises will resume operations in October
Domestic cruise tourism to Goa has resumed eight months after a Cordelia ship was forced to return to Mumbai after scores of passengers on board were found Covid positive in January.
Mormugao Port Authority chairman Akkaraju Venkata Ramana said the international cruises will resume operations this month. “We expect at last 21 international and 35 domestic vessels.” Cruise vessels berth at the Mormugao Port.
MV Cordelia Empress with around 800 tourists on board was the first cruise to dock at the port on September 30. The vessel operating along the east coast will shift to the west coast after the withdrawal of the monsoon, making a round Mumbai-Goa-Cochin-Lakshadweep trip.
Ramana said the authorities have put all standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place while ensuring tourists are made to feel as comfortable as possible.
“During the Covid period, the cruises come to a standstill. ...we are again starting the domestic as well as international cruises...[and] want to make the experience for the domestic as well as the international passengers as memorable as possible.”
He said the SOPs are for the customs, immigration, the operators and the port, etc. “The respective organisations should follow the SOPs. ...there is an ease of doing business. ...e-landing passes are digitised and e-visas are automated. We have automated everything.”
In January, passengers on board the Cordelia cruise ship were supposed to have been tested for Covid before embarking. The ship was initially denied permission to dock and Goa officials were blamed for giving conflicting instructions.
Between 2,000 to 3,000 passengers are expected per cruise trip from October to April this year in a much-needed boost for the local economy.
