Maiden journey

The much-awaited passenger ferry service from Tuticorin to Colombo is set to begin with the 1,044-capacity Scotia Prince to be flagged off by Union shipping minister GK Vasan on Monday. The service will be run twice a week initially. Bookings will begin on Saturday through travel agents, said sources close to the ferry operator. Scotia Prince will have over 40 crew on board and about 25 ground staff to help with check-in procedures, immigration, custom procedures and baggage clearance. It can carry about 300 tonnes of cargo. The facilities for passengers include 111 economy rooms, two special cabins for the physically challenged, 22 deluxe cabins with toilet, 169 deluxe cabins with shower and toilet, 11 first class cabins and two suites. According to the operator, a single economy class berth will cost 2,243, a deluxe cabin 2,588, a super deluxe cabin 2,760 while a first class cabin will come for 10,350. The ship is also equipped with a broadway lounge, a Concorde restaurant and a Manhattan café, bar and disco halls. There will be live music performances as well. A casino, drive-in drive-out facility for cars and cargo vehicles and a duty-free shop are the other facilities available. The vessel, with nine decks, matches the standards of a cruise liner and is chartered by Flemingo Liners along with a consortium of Tradex Shipping Co Pvt Ltd. It has a licence for seven years with a provision to extend it by three years. PK Thimmayya, CEO of Flemingo Liners, said the demand for cruise travel was increasing and that the new service would improve tourism between India and Sri Lanka. The passenger ferry service will run twice a week initially