The Rs 96-crore Vizag International Cruise Terminal (VICT) is expected to launch cruise services from November 2023, which would boost cruise tourism from the port city in Andhra Pradesh. It is ready for inauguration, even as a passenger vessel to Andaman is expected to be berthed.
VICT, developed jointly by Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (GoI), can handle 2,000 passenger cruise ships. The VPA is in touch with three cruise lines- Cordelia, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises.
The existing routes covered in the cruise packages from India are Mumbai-High seas-Goa-Mumbai, Mumbai-Diu-Mumbai, Chennai-Trincomalee-Chennai, Mumbai to Venice, Male, Athens, Singapore and Kolkata to Bangladesh. VPA, in association with cruise lines, plans to add services to Chennai, Colombo/Trincomalee, Singapore and Bangladesh, and is also exploring coastal cruises to Orissa and the Sunderbans.
VICT offers world-class port facilities with efficient services and operations, while the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has given certain directions on the tariff for cruise.