CHENNAI: The first-ever luxury cruise line from the State sailed from Chennai Port after the chief minister inaugurated The Empress, India's premium cruise, from Chennai Port on Saturday.
Operated by Cordelia Cruises, The Empress, began sailing from the Chennai Port. The vessel sailed with 1,800 passengers and 600 crew. It would be an additional tourist attraction for Chennaites. The cruise operator has announced east coast roundabout route covering Puducherry, besides a package for a two-night trip.
The two-night and three-day package costs around Rs 40,000 and a five-day trip to Puducherry costs around Rs 90,000 and could go beyond Rs 1.5 lakh, said an employee of Cordelia Cruise. The Empress has 11 decks with 796 cabins, several food pavilions, a dive-in theatre, swimming pool and marquee theatre. Tourism Minister M Mathiventhan and Tourism department secretary B Chandra Mohan participated in the inaugural function.