The commencement of the tourist season saw the arrival of the inaugural luxury liner at Port Mormugao/Goa (India).
Cordelia Cruises' ship MV Empress marked the debut of the domestic season as she berthed at Mormugao in the early hours of Friday, September 22. The vessel carried 218 passengers plus 572 staff/crew. MV Empress had embarked from Port Agatti /Lakshadweep and later set sail for Mumbai.
The Mormugao Port Authority made an official announcement via its communication platform, stating:
"M/s Cordelia's MV Empress, the first domestic vessel of the ensuing cruise season has docked at Mormugao Port on 22.09.2023, bringing a total of 218 passengers and a crew of 572. Cruise vessel arrived from Agatti, Lakshadweep and will be sailing to Mumbai @shipmin_india.”
Mormugao Port anticipates a busy season with 72 cruise ships expected to visit the port, including 40 domestic and 32 international vessels. The second domestic cruise is scheduled to arrive at Mormugao port on October 14, while the first international ship is set to dock on November 11.
Notably, in the previous year, the domestic cruise ship M/s Cordelia Empress was also the first to arrive at Mormugao Port, but it hailed from Mumbai. It brought 785 domestic passengers and accommodated 360 crew members, marking a return to cruise tourism after a hiatus of two seasons due to the impact of the COVID crisis.
Last year, Mormugao Port hosted approximately 52 cruises, predominantly domestic, signaling the gradual revival of cruise activity at the port.