Cruise season begins, first vessel calls on New Mangalore Port

Mangaluru: The cruise season of the year began with the arrival of the luxury cruise liner ‘Seven Seas Navigator’ to New Mangalore Port, authorities said on Saturday.

The Bahamas-flagged vessel with 500 passengers and 350 crew members called on the Port on Friday morning. This is the first foreign vessel to call on the port in the current cruise season, during which 10 cruise vessels are scheduled to dock at the port, a release from the NMPA said.

The cruise passengers were given a traditional welcome with chenda and Yakshagana performances. New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) chairman A V Ramana greeted the visitors and presented a memento to cruise vessel captain Abhijeet Singh.

The NMPA had made arrangements for medical screening, immigration and customs counters. Buses and taxis were arranged for the movement of visitors to various places in and around the city.

The vessel is owned by an entrepreneur from Norway and has the flag of the Bahamas hoisted on it. The ship is 173 meters in length and 7.5 meters in depth. The weight of the vessel is 28,083 tonne, the release said.

The ship later sailed off to Kochi.