TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) will take a big plunge into cruise tourism by introducing a new 250-seater cruise vessel into the river waters of Goa.

The tendering process for the vessel is underway and is in the final stages of being floated.

font-size: medium; text-align: justify; ">According to officials, it will be a state-of-the-art vessel with latest amenities such as a sophisticated hall installed with Wi-Fi for corporate meetings, a hall for parties and weddings. It will also be designed with facilities for children, a food mart and other attractions.

The length of the vessel is about 55 meters with an actual capacity for 300 people. The GTDC is taking technical inputs from the Institute of Ship Building – Goa.

The new cruise vessel will replace the existing 24-seater Poseidon.

Chairman of the GTDC, Nilesh Cabral said that the boat is now outdated “and we are spending too much on maintaining it.”

Poseidon was bought in 2000 and was serving the Corporation for tours in the back waters of Goa. Not in a position to operate any longer, the GTDC has floated tenders to sell off the vessel.

Presently, the GTDC has two other vessels which it operates in River Mandovi – Shanta Durga and Santa Monica.