Date:30/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/30/stories/2006013002141500.htm

Back Huge cruise vessel arrives at Kochi Port

Our Bureau

Kochi , Jan. 29

M v Oriana, one of the largest cruise vessels with more than 1,700 passengers and a crew of over 800, called at Kochi Port early Sunday morning.

The vessel, having ten passenger decks with a capacity to carry 1,810 passengers, arrived here from Mumbai. More than 1,500 passengers in the current voyage are British nationals.

Others include Australian, American, Dutch, Canadian and Indian nationals. After a brief stay here, the vessel set sail for Chennai in the afternoon.

A vessel of British nationality, m v Oriana has a length of 261 metres, 32 metres in breadth and a draught of 8.3 metres. She is the eleventh cruise vessel to call at Kochi during the current tourist season.

Another prestigious cruise vessel, m v Super Star Libra, now plying in the western Indian waters, will make its second visit of this season to Kochi on Jan 31 with 900 passengers.

The vessel is scheduled to arrive from Mumbai at 4.30 a.m. and sail to Goa on the same day at 6 p.m. She will again call at Kochi five times in the coming months, a CPT release said.