Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya virtually flagged off cruise services from Essar bulk terminal at Hazira in Surat to Diu, a union territory on the Saurashtra coast.
The cruise will start in the evening and reach its destination on the next morning, thus completing its journey in around 13-14 hours.
The development of cruise tourism, Mandaviya said, has been the prime focus of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
