Shipping agents said that, the seasons total is likely to be 82 vessels as at least 10 more vessels are likely to arrive in the Vasco port in the coming winter months. They said that, spill over of cruises that were cancelled during the Covid pandemic, increase in the number of ships doing the domestic run as well as overall revival in the cruise travel sector is reason for the boom in Goa’s cruise traffic.
Mormugao Port Authority, senior traffic manager, Jerome Clemente said, “More cruise vessels will be coming to the state this season.” He said that, 32 international voyages and 40 domestic cruise ships have booked berth at the port this season, while in the previous season the state received 18 international voyages.
Additional coastal vessel on the Goa- Mumbai run is MV Costa Serena. Improvement in infrastructure in domestic ports is one of the reasons for international voyages coming to India, said the MPA traffic manager.
“Cruise itineraries are market driven. Some voyages happen through New Mangalore port or the Chennai port, but the most popular ports for cruise ships are Mumbai, Goa and Kochi,” explained Clemente.
With cruise liners being large ships and carrying average 2,000 passengers, Goa’s cruise footfalls is heading for big jump in the 2023-24, season, according to MPA.
Early during the month, two cruise vessels The MV Resilen Lady and the MV Costa Serena, arrived on the same day on November 11, in the Mormugao Port. The MV Resilen Lady, an American liner made its first voyage to Goa and berthed for the night while, the MV Costa Serena made a longer call at the port. The next cruise ship to arrive in the state will be the liner Vasco da Gama, on December 4.
“Several US and UK cruise companies have started sailing in Indian coastal waters. They are calling in Indian ports. Some foreign vessels have made Mumbai port as their home port. It has led to an increase in the costal cruises doing the Mumbai- Goa- Lakshadweep run,” said a official from JM Baxi & Co, Vasco, a shipping service company. He added that, there is big market in India for cruise tourism.
The number of cruise passengers in India is expected to increase to 40 lakh by 2041, with projected revenue of `35,000 crore.
