New Cruise Terminal to Make Mumbai Like Miami, Says Port Trust

The new cruise terminal that is being planned in Mumbai will make the city at par with Miami in the United States, a beach town known as a party destination, the Mumbai Port Trust said. The Indian city is set to have floating restaurants, a marina and an international cruise terminal, according to the port authority.

The new terminal will be 10 times bigger than the current one. “Our aim is to make this place in Mumbai comparable with Miami,” Sanjay Bhatia, the chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust, said, according to NDTV.

The terminal will have the capacity to host large cruise ships that ferry up to 5,000 passengers and will have a total capacity of 700,000 passengers per year. It will be spread over 4.15 lakh sq. ft. and is expected to cost about Rs 300 crore.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister for Shipping and Ports Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for the upcoming international cruise terminal on Jan. 11. The ministers said that the port would lead to growth in jobs and tourism.

“Spread across 2 hectares, Mumbai’s New International Cruise Terminal (ICT) is being constructed to the best global benchmarks to berth super-liner cruise ships; Will have facilities like shopping malls, duty free shops, restaurants, hotels, etc,” the Ministry of Shipping tweeted.

A Mumbai to Goa cruise for domestic travelers will be launched as well.

The initiative is being taken under the government’s ambitious Sagar Mala project, a nationwide attempt towards port modernization and development of coastal zones.

The Mumbai port project will be undertaken in two phases, with the first phase, which aims to cater to 200,000 passengers, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018. The new terminal will be fully ready to host more than 700,000 passengers by the end of 2019.

Live Now: Foundation stone laying ceremony of International Cruise Terminal at Mumbai Port @nitin_gadkari @Dev_Fadnavis @MumbaiPortTrust @pibmumbai @PIB_India https://t.co/bsTTsooL5r

— Ministry of Shipping (@shipmin_india) January 11, 2018

Currently, the cruise port in Mumbai has check-in baggage handling facilities, a lounge, duty free shop, curios and handicraft stalls and toilets, foreign exchange facilities, etc. The terminal area in use is only 2,500 sq.mt of 6,000 sq. mt.

According to official data, 27,827 total passengers came through the port, including international passengers, in 2012-13. The highest number of passengers, at 36,803, was in 2011-12.