Get prepared for a newer experience.
Watching the sun set from the Queen's Necklace may soon be considered passe. Get prepared for a newer experience — watching Mumbai's skyline from a floating hotel or a cruise boat located off the city's shoreline.
The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has set the ball rolling for the development and operation of floatels and evening cruises along the state's coastline.
"We can have floatels... in areas with maximum tourist inflows. House boats can also be situated there," said MMB chief executive officer Atul Patne, adding that potential sites could also include the seaside pilgrimage centre of Ganpatipule and the Thane and Vasai creeks.
"After breakwaters and marinas are constructed, we can have houseboats," he added, stating that discussions with potential developers were underway.
The MMB has invited EOIs for the development, operation and maintenance of floatels along the coastline. Floatels are luxury restaurants anchored off the shore. Operators will have to propose the locations and the waterfront. These floatels will have international-standard facilities including for online booking and comfort systems like snacks and dinner and also showcase Maharashtra's culture and entertainment.
Similar EOIs have also been floated for operationalising evening passenger cruises, ferry services, catamarans and amphibian bus services with Bandra, Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Mandwa, Dharamtar, Karanja, Revas, Rajpuri, Agardanda, Dighi, Jaigad and Ratnagiri being looked at as possible locations. Evening cruises will have facilities like dinner and entertainment or cultural programmes.
The city's first and only floatel — AB Celestial — is expected to start business around August-end at the Bandra jetty near the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL), where it is anchored. The floatel, which has been imported from
Florida, is a five-storied boat with restaurants and a banquet hall. Kolkata also has a floatel with residential and banquet facilities.
"Instead of pinpointing particular sites, we are asking bidders to identify spots with potential," said Patne, adding that Maharashtra has a 720-km shoreline with over 800 jetties, including 449 for passenger transport.
"Evening cruise vessels can come from areas like Thane and Belapur to Mumbai, show passengers around in areas like Nariman Point and the Queen's necklace and return. They will be able to experience how Mumbai looks like from the sea," he stated, adding that while larger boats could operate round the year, smaller ones would have to be shut down during the monsoon.
The MMB could also offer its jetties like those at Bandra, Juhu and Versova to evening cruise operators for picking up passengers. Creeks like those at Belapur, Mira Bhayender and Vasai can also be used for cruises.
"There is a potential for evening cruises at many locations in creeks... the view of Mumbai at night should be experienced," said Patne.
The MMB is also open to developing motel-type structures or resorts at selected jetties on the Konkan coast, which will enable passengers to halt en route to Goa in these accommodation facilities.
"The government needs to finalise a policy for floating hotels," noted Chetan Bhende of WB International Consultants, who has launched the floatel. "The government should check the credentials of the promoters who apply for licences and also confirm if they have the vessel in place," he said, adding that otherwise, there was a chance that these licenses could be sold to others in the market, thus defeating the purpose of the policy.
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