World Cruise 2017 Day 72 Mumbai, India

Saturday, March 18, 2017 

Today the ship arrived in Mumbai, India.  The ship arrived around 10 AM.  Mumbai is the city and port on the western coast of India, capital of the state of Maharashtra; pop. 13,922,100 (est. 2009).  Former name (until 1995) Bombay.  

The Mumbai Immigration was to begin after arrival but there were some problems in getting the ramp installed between the dock and the ship.  After going thru Immigration I went on a tour called "Panoramic Mumbai" at 12:45 PM.  The tour was mostly a panoramic drive to see some of the most significant sights of Mumbai.  Our first stop was a photo stop at the dhobi ghat where laundry from all over Mumbai is washed.  We drove by the Gateway of India built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George and Queen Mary.  Across the street is the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.  We drove along Marine Drive and drove by Victoria Terminus and the railway station.  Toward the end of the tour we stopped at a hotel on Marine Drive for tea and coffee.  We returned to the ship at 4:15 PM.  Tonight the ship had a local show called the Magic Of Bollywood.  Bollywood is the Hollywood of Mumbai and produces many films.

Mumbai also known as Bombay, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India and the ninth most populous agglomeration in the world, with an estimated city population of 18.4 million. Along with the neighbouring regions of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world and the second most populous metropolitan area in India, with a population of 20.7 million as of 2011. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. In 2008, Mumbai was named an alpha world city. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West, or Central Asia. Mumbai has the highest number of billionaires and millionaires among all cities in India.

The seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands were under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese and subsequently to the British East India Company when in 1661 King Charles II married the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza, and as part of her dowry Charles received the ports of Tangier and seven islands of Bombay.^[20] During the mid-18th century, Bombay was reshaped by the Hornby Vellard project, which undertook reclamation of the area between the seven islands from the sea. Along with construction of major roads and railways, the reclamation project, completed in 1845, transformed Bombay into a major seaport on the Arabian Sea. Bombay in the 19th century was characterised by economic and educational development. During the early 20th century it became a strong base for the Indian independence movement. Upon India's independence in 1947 the city was incorporated into Bombay State. In 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, a new state of Maharashtra was created with Bombay as the capital.^[23]

Mumbai is the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India. It is also one of the world's top ten centers of commerce in terms of global financial flow, generating 6.16% of India's GDP^[ and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 70% of maritime trade in India (Mumbai Port Trust and JNPT), and 70% of capital transactions to India's economy. The city houses important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India, the SEBI and the corporate headquarters of numerous Indian companies and multinational corporations. It is also home to some of India's premier scientific and nuclear institutes like BARC, NPCL, IREL, TIFR, AERB, AECI, and the Department of Atomic Energy. The city also houses India's Hindi (Bollywood) and Marathi film and televisionindustry. Mumbai's business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of living, attract migrants from all over India, making the city a melting pot of many communities and cultures.

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Mumbai, India. 

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Mumbai, India. 

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Mumbai, India.  This is the dock ahead where the ship was docked. 

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Mumbai, India. 

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Mumbai, India. This shows some of the buses used on the ships tours.

This picture was taken of the ramp used from the ship to the dock.

This picture was taken from the bus of Mumbai, India.

This picture was taken from the bus with Victoria Terminus in the background.

This picture was taken from the bus of the beach off of marine drive.

This picture was taken from the bus of Mumbai, India.

This picture was taken at a photo stop at dhobi ghat where laundry from all over Mumbai is washed.

This picture was taken at a photo stop at dhobi ghat where laundry from all over Mumbai is washed.

This picture was taken from the bus of some of the typical shops in Mumbai, India.

This picture was taken from the bus of Mumbai, India.  It shows some of the 45,000 taxis in Mumbai.

This picture was taken from the bus of some of the many motor bikes in Mambai, India.

This picture was taken from the bus of a sports field with the University in the background.

This picture was taken from the bus of the Gateway of India

This picture was taken from the bus of the back of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

This is a picture of marine drive.

This is the hotel where we had tea or coffee.

Taken in the hotel where we had tea or coffee.

Taken from the bus of Mumbai, India.

Taken from the bus of a small island near the port.

Taken from the bus of the Amsterdam.