Welcome aboard ‘Angriya’, the country’s first domestic luxury cruiseliner, which will start commercial operations from October 24. It is expected to boost the country’s lagging cruise service sector, by opening doors for similar services which are expected to start plying from April next year.
“With Angriya, the doors of opportunities for cruise business have completely opened now. We have had fewer calls from international cruiseliners till now. But now, we have looked into developing the infrastructure for boosting cruise business. By April next year, we should be looking at another cruise service starting from Mumbai, going down all the way up to Kerala,” a top official of the Mumbai Port Trust told CNN-News18.
“A year and a half ago, when Angriya was docked in Mumbai for the first time there were lot of problems. Our policies regarding cruises were also such that we completely discouraged anyone from even thinking of operating a ship in the domestic sector. With the launch of Angriya, it has opened the floodgates of opportunities for employment in the hospitality and port sector here,” Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari said in his address during the launch ceremony.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while inaugurating the domestic cruise terminal at Princess Dock, said that 32 lakh tourists are slated to come to Mumbai through the newly inaugurated terminal.
“East coast of Mumbai now gets connected with every Indian citizen. It was disconnected for almost 200 years. This achievement will open up numerous opportunities for tourism and water transport for Mumbai. We are working hard to integrate every public transport system,” he said.
For siblings Captain Nitin Dhond and Leena Kamat Prabhu, the owners of Angriya, it is a dream come true. “I have lived for over a year on the ship now, to refurbish it. We got the ship from Japan where she had operated for nearly 20 years. During our childhood, we used to travel from Goa to Mumbai in Konkan Shakti. This ship is in memory of that journey. We want everyone to relive that nostalgia.”
The cruise Angriya has been named in the memory of Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, India’s first naval commander, who served in Shivaji’s armament and believed one should have a separate army to control waters.
The ship can carry 346 passengers and has eight categories of rooms, ranging from dormitories to luxury rooms. The price for these ranges from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000. The tickets are inclusive of the food.
The rooms and dormitories are named after sea forts and sea animals. “The idea is that people get a taste of Maharashtra’s maritime history, and get information about the rich oceanic life diversity in this region. There will never be a dull moment on the ship. We have decorated her with panels and photographs of our rich maritime heritage,” said Leena Kamat Prabhu.
There is an infinity pool on the deck and a heli-deck. Gaaz, which translates as the sound of the sea, is bar which serves you drinks while you watch Angriya cut through the Arabian Sea.
The cruise offers facilities like spa, shampoo stations and other grooming places. For the party lovers, the discotheque will stay open till 2 am.
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