The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Luxury liner in Chennai

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 29, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Luxury liner in Chennai

By T.S. Shankar

CHENNAI, MARCH 28. The luxury cruise liner Prinsendam with 650 American tourists berthed at West Quay No. 4 of the Chennai Harbour today. The visitors were accorded a traditional welcome by staff of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), the India Tourism and the Chennai Port Trust authorities. They had a glimpse of folk art, Karagattam. A band from Port Trust was also in attendance.

Shaktikanta Das, Commissioner of Tourism and Managing Director of the TTDC, said the tourists would visit Mamallapuram before boarding the ship tonight.

This was the third luxury liner to visit Chennai, he said.

A British vessel, Island Sky docked on January 26, followed by another British ship, Minerva II on February 25. Over 600 tourists visited Kancheepuram, Mamallapuram and Chennai, said Mr. Das.

"It is gratifying to see a large volume of overseas visitors coming to Chennai by sea. This proves that Chennai and Tamil Nadu were safe to visit post-tsunami," Mr. Das said.

Cecil Hydar Ali, managing director, Micato Tours and Travels, New Delhi, which is ground-handling the 97-day world cruise liner, said the ship would leave for Colombo before returning home.

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