CPT rolls out red carpet for 'Queen Mary II'

Kochi, Mar 8 (UNI) As 'Queen Mary II', the world's largest and most expensive cruise ship, came calling at this city, popularly called the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea', the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) rolled out a red carpet to make the meeting of the two queens memorable.

Buildings on the Ernakulam wharf, where Queen Mary II berthed after its arrival here yesterday morning, were given a fresh coat of paint and the CPT authorities undertook extra dredging to ensure that there was enough water depth for the ship, which weighs 1,50,000 tonnes.

Senior CPT officials said while the port did not earn much from the ship's call at Kochi, the CPT had gone out of its way to accommodate the liner as it was a momentous occasion for Kerala tourism.

''If we had accommodated two cargo ships in the place of Queen Mary II, we would have earned at least Rs one crore. The revenue that the port will earn from this ship will run into lakhs only'', they added.

However, that did not stop the port authorities from putting their best foot forward. The Ernakulam wharf wore a festive look with illumination in the evening and stalls selling traditional curios.

The 2,500 passengers and 1,200 crew members were given a traditional welcome with caparisoned elephants and 'panchavadyam'.

The commander of the ship, Commodore Bernard Warner acknowledged the good work done by the CPT and said the cruise liner's entry into the port was a smooth affair.

Queen Mary II, which was on an 80-day world cruise, left for Dubai at about 1530 hrs today. It started from Fort Lauderdale on January 11 and scheduled to dock at Southampton on April two at the end of the 38,000-mile world tour.

UNI