Sops for cruise liners at Chennai Port to stay

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on February 19, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/sops-for-cruise-liners-at-chennai-port-to-stay/364849.html

CHENNAI: With a view to wooing more cruise liners to the Chennai Port, its management on Saturday announced the continuation of concessions for such ships on vessel-related charges while docking.

According to sources, the board of trustees governing the Chennai Port during a meeting held recently gave its nod for extending the concession for one more year for all cruise liners visiting the port in 2012.

As part of the concession scheme, a flat 20 per cent discount would be offered  on vessel-related charges like port dues, berth hire charges and pilotage to all the vessels carrying passengers for an ocean trip taken for pleasure, excluding regular passenger vessels running between Chennai and Port Blair.

In the past two years (till February second week), about 14 vessels operated by internationally renowned cruise liners have docked at the Chennai Port and brought over 7,000 passengers.

This kind of concessions would help the port to exhibit it as an important destination among the world’s cruise liners’ handling ports, sources told Express.

The move also comes in the backdrop of the Chennai Port Trust struggling to meet its revenue targets for this fiscal due to the Madras High Court’s ban on handling dusty cargoes like coal and iron ore a few months ago.