A cruise vessel, ‘Celebrity Constellation,’ berthed at New Mangalore Port (NMP) for a few hours before sailing to Mormugao Port in Goa on Wednesday.

The Malta-flagged passenger vessel, having a overall length of 294 metres with air drift of 54.3 metres, had begun its voyage from Cochin Port. There were 2,100 passengers and 1,100 crew members on board the vessel.

This is the biggest ever passenger vessel that has berthed at the port during the season, Traffic Manager Y R Belagal said.

New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) Chairman M T Krishna Babu boarded the vessel and met the captain of the vessel, along with senior port officers, to understand their experience with the port.

He emphasised on the initiatives taken by the NMP to boost the cruise tourism.

The ongoing project of upgrading the existing terminal to state-of-the-art cruise terminal when completed will make New Mangaluru Port one of the most sought out tourist destinations by cruise lines and passengers.