Europe's topmost cruise company, Costa Cruise started its operations with its cruise Costa Neo Classica in Mumbai that will be its home port for the next four months.
The homeporting of Costa Cruises in Mumbai on Friday marked the beginning of the cruise tourism season for 2017-18. The season is expected to be extended till March, 2018 and the passengers can take the cruise to regularly sail between the city and Maldives.
The cruise will go to Maldives from Mumbai via Cochin every alternate week.
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and Mumbai Port trust have associated with Costa Cruise to promote cruise tourism in India.
The cruise was started off with an inaugural event onboard Costa Neo Classica at Mumbai Dock, which was attended by many.
Speaking at the event, State Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal, said, "This is the beginning of a great initiative. Cruise tourism will assist the State in earning huge foreign exchange revenue and in creating employment opportunities the city of Mumbai."
The cruise will start its journey towards Maldives on every alternate Sunday and will reach Maldives in a week's time. It will then have another embarking and disembarking point at Cochin.
The journey up to Cochin will be of four days and the charges start from twenty nine thousand rupees per person.
From Mumbai to Maldives fares will be from 43 thousand rupees per person.
The Maharashtra Government is also exploring other destinations to promote cruise tourism in the state.
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