More than a month after some American cruise ship passengers were not allowed to board their tour buses at the Mormugao Port by a few unruly taxi operators, the authorities on Wednesday put aside the issue and extended a warm Goan welcome to 1,545 guests who arrived on Costa Deliziosa at the port.
It was a big day for the taxi operators and other stakeholders from the Mormugao cruise terminal area who are part of the tourism sector.
The cruise ship docked at Mormugao Port at around 10 am, and a few minutes later the passengers witnessed a musical and floral welcome.
The tourists were excited to experience Goan hospitality and the grand welcome they witnessed upon their arrival. The passengers appreciated the Goan weather, and some of them left for a short tour.
Mormugao Port Authority via its official Twitter handle tweeted "Cruise vessel Costa Deliziosa arrived at Mormugao Port at 09.50 hrs today ie 01.02.23. The vessel arrived with 1545 passengers & 878 crew. Passengers were welcomed with dance and music, depicting Goan culture. Last port: Mumbai, Next port: Male, Maldives @shipmin_india @NewMngPort."
Later, when contacted, Jerome Clemente, Senior Deputy Traffic Manager of MPA, informed us that the cruise ship arrived on Wednesday morning from the Mumbai Port with over 1500 tourists and over 800 crew. The next destination of this vessel is at Malé, Maldives.
It may be recalled that two months ago, due to some miscommunication and unacceptable behaviour from the taxi operators, some American tourists had to face hardships at the Mormugao cruise terminal.
Some of the American tourists, who filmed the scene, posted it on social media. The videos went viral and it became an international issue.
Later, the tourism minister and the local MLAs apologised and gave an assurance that such incidents would not be repeated. Since then, this was the first vessel which docked at the Mormugao cruise terminal.