MSC Bellissima Completes 2025 Season in China

MSC Bellissima Completes 2025 Season in China

The MSC Bellissima recently completed MSC Cruises’ 2025 deployment in China after offering over 30 cruises from the country.

Serving the Chinese market, the 4,500-guest ship arrived in Shanghai in mid-January, offering winter sailings to Japan and South Korea.

The four- and five-night cruises, which continued to be offered through early March, included visits to destinations such as Fukuoka, Sasebo and Jeju.

The Meraviglia-class ship then repositioned to other Asian countries before returning to Shanghai in mid-July.

As part of a summer deployment in China, the vessel offered additional cruises to Japan and South Korea through early September.

The four- and five-night itineraries featured visits to more ports of call, such as Okinawa, Busan and Incheon.

The MSC Bellissima is set to offer cruises departing from Tokyo in October before repositioning to Naha and Keelung.

As part of its interporting operations in the region, the Bellissima offers a series of short cruises to Japan and Taiwan through the end of the year.

In addition to Naha and Keelung, the four-night itineraries feature alternating visits to Ishigaki and Miyakojima.

Similar sailings are set to be offered in early 2026, with departures from the two homeports scheduled through late January.

According to published deployment, the MSC Bellissima is poised to return to China next year, kicking off a repositioning cruise to Shanghai soon after completing its winter deployment in Japan and Taiwan.

As the largest cruise ship in Asia, the 167,600-ton vessel has been sailing year-round in the region since 2023.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, the MSC Bellissima entered service in 2019 as a sister to the MSC Meraviglia.

After spending its inaugural season in Europe, the vessel also offered itineraries in the Middle East and the Red Sea before repositioning to the Far East.

Royal Caribbean Back to China in April 2024

Royal Caribbean International will sail from Shanghai with the 2019-built Spectrum of the Seas in April 2024, marking the brand’s return to China.

The Anthem of the Seas will reposition to Singapore for the 2024-25 cruise season, starting homeporting operations in October 2024.

Singapore was the first homeport in Asia to allow ships to restart cruises in late 2020.

Since then, the Spectrum of the Seas has been sailing cruises primarily from Singapore ranging from three to four nights.

The Spectrum of the Seas will reposition to China and will start offering sailings from Shanghai in April 2024. The ship will visit ports in Japan including Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagasaki.

From Hong Kong, the Spectrum of the Seas will offer eight sailings with visits to Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Costa to resume Japan port calls

Costa to resume Japan port calls

By Donna Tunney
Costa Cruises said that its 1,680-passenger Costa Classica will resume Japan itineraries later this month.On Aug. 26, the ship will depart Shanghai for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka, Japan, and Cheju, South Korea, before returning to Shanghai.

Costa said the move demonstrates its “confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support to the revitalization of the local tourism industry.”

Through mid-October, the Costa Classica, which is based in Shanghai, will operate 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea. Cheju will be the only port call in South Korea. Besides Fukouka, other calls in Japan will be to Nagasaki and Kagoshima.

In 2012, Costa plans to expand its operations in Asia and the Far East, with the deployment of the 2,394-passenger Costa Victoria, which will replace the Costa Classica.

The switch will increase Costa’s capacity in the region by about 40%.

The Costa Victoria next year will sail to several new destinations in Japan, including Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama; Osaka; Yokohama; and Tokyo.