Team Herald

PANJIM: With MV Viking Orion carrying 884 passengers and 470 crew on board heralding the start of luxury cruise liners this season; Mormugao Port Trust’s cruise berth terminal that saw 43,726 visitors in 2017-18, marginally lower than the preceding season, is set for a new beginning.

MPT has over the years played a significant and crucial role in sustaining the high-end tourism industry in the State, and has been upgrading its facility. Last cruise season, the port handled 32 cruise liners, 43,726 passengers and 20,495 crew. Vessel Mein Schift brought maximum 2,457 passengers along with 1,017 crew members on February 28, 2018 while the least was 56 passengers in Island Sky, also carrying 73 crew on April 5, 2017.

The preceding 2016-17 cruise season saw the arrival of 38 cruise liners bringing in 43,850 passengers and 20,636 crew to Goa. During the years 2016-17 and 2017-18, Costa Luminosa first docked at MPT cruise berth terminal brining 1,449 visitors and 881 crew; and 1,810 passengers and 888 crew members respectively. 

The visiting guests hail from various countries including USA, UK, Germany, Austria, France, Australia, Holland, Norway, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Italy. In the ongoing season, MPT expects to host 39 luxury foreign cruise liners.