Close on the heels of tourist-cum-ferry vessel Cleopatra beginning operations in Kozhikode in February, its sister vessel Michelle is likely to take a plunge soon in the waters of the coastal city in northern Kerala.
The bonanza for Kozhikode will continue in the form of yet another cruise vessel, a solar-powered one at that, that will join the ranks by year end. All these vessels are being rolled out by the State-owned Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC).
The agency has leased out Cleopatra to a firm, for an extendable period of one year. The vessel, costing ₹2.40 crore, can carry 130 people.
‘‘There is good response to its sunset and other cruises. Michelle too is ready and is currently berthed in Kochi. It too is ready for being leased out, and will most likely operate in Kozhikode, which has a crowded beach. Kochi already has its share of cruise vessels from our stable, sea-going, double-decked vessels Sagara Rani I and II, while our flagship cruise vessel Nefertiti launched in 2018 can carry up to 200 commuters 36 km into the sea,’’ said Anoop Kumar, KSINC technical manager.
Nefertiti was built at a cost of ₹16.42 crore and is named after a beautiful Egyptian queen. It can host parties, official conferences on board and can carry 200 passengers up to 36 km into the sea.
‘‘The vessel has good patronage, especially during weekends and holidays. It is perfect to host a group of 125 people, with adults paying ₹3,000 and children ₹2,000. Another 75 can be accommodated, for which we charge only ₹1,000 per head. The tariff is inclusive of meal, snacks and entertainments,’’ he said.
It is also the sole cruise vessel operating from Kerala that has licence to serve liquor.
The KSINC decided to lease out the vessels in Kozhikode considering overhead costs involved in setting up an office there.
The construction of KSINC's solar-powered cruise vessel costing approximately ₹4 crore is under way in Sri Lanka.
The vessel that is yet to be named is expected to be ready by year end.
It would take guests 9 km into the sea from the Kozhikode beach. It will be able to carry 80 people in the lower deck and 20 in the upper deck. Food and entertainment events will be arranged on board.
Cruise ship
In the meantime, the contract for constructing Andromeda, a cruise ship that will have berthing accommodation for 120 guests and 60 crew members is in the negotiation stage, since the lowest bidder quoted much more than the estimate of ₹40 crore.
The vessel is expected to operate from Kochi to locales such as Dubai, Maldives and Lakshadweep, Mr. Anoop Kumar said.
