Bangladesh has begun construction of Foreign going cruise ships that meet international standards.
The government has taken steps to construct international-standard foreign-bound cruise ships, with the goal of launching them within two years.
Scope of building foreign going cruise ships
Three cruise ships are currently being built at Karnafuly Ship Builders Ltd’s dry dock on the bank of the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong.
According to officials, each of these vessels will cost at least Tk77 crore, bringing the total project cost to Tk231 crore.
The ships are expected to be launched in 2023, according to the shipping ministry.
“Each of these ships will be equipped with all modern entertainment amenities, allowing tourists to comfortably spend up to 15 days on a cruise.” Furthermore, such cruises are only available in Europe, not even in India. These ships will be able to travel to India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, among other destinations,” he added.
The vessels will be delivered by June 2023, according to the contract signed with Karnafuly Ship Builders Ltd, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Chairman Syed Tajul Islam.
The vessels’ classification will then be verified by the International Association of Classification Societies before they are launched,” he added.
Their take
“We are thinking of signing contracts with major private companies such as Sheraton, Pan Pacific Sonargaon, and InterContinental in order to offer world-class cruises to tourists,” Islam said, explaining how they plan to sign contracts with large corporations to provide top-notch services.
It will not only boost the country’s tourism industry, but it will also have a significant economic impact.
According to State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.
Dhaka Office
Flat#3C, House# 06 (NAM Village)
Road#02, Banani, Dhaka-1213, Bangladesh
Phone: +88 02 8833911
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Chittagong Office
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Chittagong-400, Bangladesh
Phone: +88 031 616869, 627866,2852315 Fax: +88 031 619519.
Email: ksbldhaka@gmail.com
Facilities on board Foreign going cruise ships
Each cruise ship will have 150 cabins for passengers and 50 cabins for crew, according to officials. Each cabin will have its own bathroom.
There will also be 20 presidential suits available for passengers.
A 3D cinema, two swimming pools, laundry, bar, cafe, helipad, open space, poolside cafe, parlour, kids corner, and food court will all be available on each vessel.
If a passenger becomes ill while on a cruise, the helipad will allow onboard authorities to airlift them to a nearby hospital.
A total of 60 people will be seated in the movie theaters. Passengers can use them as conference rooms or for family gatherings.
The MV Bay One, Bangladesh’s first luxury cruise ship, was launched in December of last year and operates on the Cox’s Bazar-Saint Martin route.
The ship, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was imported from Japan in September 2020 by Karnafuly Ship Builders Ltd.
With the Maldives as a top tourist destination and sea travel as the primary mode of transportation, I’m surprised that authorities haven’t taken such a bold step.
If our national profile had that creative vision and integrity to work for the people, this would have been our service.
