Mumbai Port Trust Plans Luxury Cruise Terminal
The Mumbai Port, one of the oldest in India, will be investing Rs 225 crore ($33.68) to build a modern passenger terminal that can cater to cruise ships, reports PTI.
"We have identified cruise shipping as a focus area, which can help the city as well. We will soon be floating tenders for a passenger terminal which will be built on a PPP model," Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) chairman Sanjay Bhatia said.
Work on the terminal, which will resemble an airport and have the capacity to handle thousands of passengers disembarking from a single ship, will be over in next two years, he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry of shipping has appointed an international consultant — Bermello Ajamil & Partners — to prepare an economically viable plan to develop coastal and inland cruise ports in the country.
"We expect the report in the next four-and-half months in order to move ahead with development of ports," said Bhatia.
MbPT will later today (Saturday, October 29) host the Genting Dream, a luxury cruise liner, set to sail with over 2,000 passengers. This will be the first time passengers can board an international luxury cruise at the city port.
MbPT is promising to make Mumbai the “gateway to international cruise tourism in India”.
