TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Family members of Goan seafarers were allowed to visit the luxury cruise liner Century owned by US based Celebrity Cruises as the 77,000 ton vessel called at the Mormugao Port Trust cruise dock on Sunday morning.
This is perhaps the first time that relatives could call on the loved ones aboard the cruise liner at the MPT port, thanks to the intervention by South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar after Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) took up cudgels for seamen families with the MP and Port authorities.
GSAI President Dixon Vaz said that since hundreds of Goans are employed on cruise ships, MPT’s decision will give many families to visit the ship and meet their loved ones after many months. “I would like to thank South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, who helped us to get permission from MPT to allow families to visit the ship and also the MPT authorities and the port agent JM Baxi,” Dixon said.
The Century cruise liner had started the cruise from Singapore, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Cochin, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Muscat and Dubai. This is the first time a ship of Celebrity Cruises visited Goa. It is carrying around 1,800 guests and 800 crew from 50 different countries.
Presently Asia is very popular market and many cruise liners have shifted their base to Singapore and Hong Kong and that’s the reason Goa will receive a lot of ships in the future.
Hundreds of Goans are working on cruise ships and this will give the families a chance to visit the ship and meet their loved ones after many months.
