The ministry is investing Rs 1,000 crore to build a cruise terminal in the Mumbai port area.

After much delay, the maiden sail of the country's first luxury cruise line service between Mumbai and Goa will begin on October 1, Union shipping minister Nitin Gadkari today said.

The ministry is investing Rs 1,000 crore to build a cruise terminal in the Mumbai port area on the east coastline of the financial capital.

"The first cruise line will set sail from Mumbai on October 1 to Goa," Mr Gadkari told reporters at the JNPT port.

Earlier the minister had said the cruise line services between Mumbai and Goa will begin by August which was then delayed to December.

Mr Gadkari had said earlier, the country receives around 80 cruise liners now but the government want to attract more than times of that at 950 over next five years. To achieve this he is planning to build a cruise terminal along the eastern water front of the megapolis at an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore.

He had also said that as part of developing cruise tourism, two floating restaurants will come up in Mumbai.

"The first cruise between Mumbai and Goa having capacity of 500 people would start from August 1," he had said last month, adding the ministry had asked all ports to set up cruise terminal.

The government would provide Rs 800 crore to Shipping Corporation of India to purchasing boats, he had said.