The Vizag International Cruise Terminal (ICT), poised to place Visakhapatnam on the global tourism map, is ready with all the necessary facilities and is expected to become functional by March.
Built at a cost of Rs 96.05 crore, the terminal is being constructed in collaboration between the Union Ministry of Tourism which has contributed Rs 38.50 crore and Visakhapatnam Port Trust which spent Rs 57.55 crore. Designed in the shape of a ship, the terminal can accommodate cruises carrying up to 2,000 passengers.
The terminal is equipped with customs and immigration counters, retail outlets, duty-free shops, food courts, and lounges. Though it was officially inaugurated in September, 2023, the terminal is gearing up for full-scale operations starting in March, 2025. The world’s largest luxury cruise ship, the World War II, is expected to dock here in April 2024, marking a significant milestone.
Discussions are on with major cruise liners such as Cordelia, Royal Caribbean, and MSC, with plans to operate cruises from Visakhapatnam to international destinations like Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, as well as domestic locations like Chennai and the Sundarbans.
Vizag Port had constructed a Rs 100 crore Vizag International Cruise Terminal (VICT) at the channel berth in the outer harbour in the port and it was inaugurated by the Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. VICT is the first cruise terminal on the east coast from West Bengal to AP. It can accommodate big vessels like Panama vessels of 50,000 to one lakh DWT. Cruises that can carry 2000 to 2500 passengers can berth in Vizag’s 330-meter-long cruise berth. The VICT has a terminal building with a passenger lounge, customs, immigration, recreation area, restrooms, duty-free shops, and currency exchange counters.
