For the first time ever,an international boutique cruise ship docked at the Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. The dawn to dusk visitor, Silver Discoverer, is a 1989 seven-star liner, built in Russia. The ship came from Trincomalee in Sri Lanka via Chennai heading next to Bangladesh via Paradeep.
As many as hundred tourists on board from the Americas and European countries were given a grand welcome by senior officials who took them around the city.
The Andhra Pradesh tourism department blissfully arranged special stalls of Araku coffee, Kondapalli toys and other handloom items unique to the state.
Gopal Krishna ,the union shipping secretary, who was in the city to greet the Silver Discoverer told media that Vizag had all the “advantages” of turning into a destination for cruise lovers. It will also generate more jobs he said.
A 77-crore project has been approved last month by the government to develop Vizag port. Soon it is equipped with to get a cruise-cum-coastal cargo terminal, say officials.
Silversea Crusises, a Monaco-based company, operates The Silver Discoverer which has a fleet of eight ultra luxury cruise ships.While the smaller vessels can carry around a 100 guests,the larger ones can carry upto 540 guests.
