On the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, Chennai only has one departure port i.e. Chennai Port. Initially known as the Madras Port, it is one of the oldest ports in India which began its operations in 1881. Over the years, Chennai Port has grown into a major hub for containers, cars and project logistics.
Other than this, Chennai Port also departs cruise ships to tropical destinations like Andaman and Sri Lanka. Only government run cruises ply from Chennai Port to Andaman Islands. On the other hand, luxurious cruise lines like Jalesh Cruise ply between Chennai Port and Sri Lanka.