Mangaluru, Dec 16: New Mangalore Port welcomed MS Nautica, the third cruise ship of the season, that docked at around 6 am on Thursday. The cruise vessel, belonging to Norwegian cruise liners, carried a total of 548 guests on board, and 397 crew members. Various arrangements were made to ensure a pleasant experience for cruise passengers. A local tour operator reserved 10 buses, tourist vans and taxis for city tours.
The overall length of the ship is 180.45 metres with a carrying capacity of 30,277 gross tonnes and a draft of 6.0 metres. The vessel, en route to Male (Maldives), arrived in India from Muscat and previously berthed at Mumbai and Mormugao Port. The passengers were given a traditional welcome.
Before embarking on a local tour, an elderly Australian couple visiting Mangaluru for the first time said that this was their second cruise this year. “We are happy that cruise ships have resumed sailing after the pandemic.”
The local tour operator said that around 350 passengers took part in city tours. They were taken to Kudroli Gokarnatheshwara Temple, the local market, Karkala Gomateshwara statue, Soans farm, Thousand Pillar Temple in Moodbidri, St Aloysius Chapel, Belmont House and Achal cashew factory. Around 20 cruise passengers had opted for lunch hosted by one of the locals.
When the vessel was about to sail out of Mangalore Port to Cochin Port at around 5 pm, a male passenger suffered a mild heart attack. The passenger was immediately shifted to a private hospital. His condition is stable and he is likely to join the rest of the passengers at their next destination.
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