Taiwan International Ports (TIPC) announced that the Costa Serena, which returned to sailing in Asia this year, will offer cruises to Japan in the fall of 2023.
The Costa Serena will sail three cruises to Okinawa, Japan from the Port of Kaohsiung in time for the mid-Autumn and National Day holidays in September and October.
In addition to sailing to Japan, the ship will return to Taiwan for regular homeport cruises first based out of Keelung and then Kaohsiung from July through October.
The Port of Kaohsiung has already set an all-time record this year with 157 cruise ship calls as of May 28, including 27 port-of-call visits.
The TIPC has recently opened a new Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal Building where automated smart passenger handling systems are being tested at the moment.
Upon completion, TIPC also plans to expand and upgrade the Penglai Cruise Terminal.
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.
The MSC Bellissima is currently sailing to Asia. Following a program in the Mediterranean, the vessel is set to mark MSC Cruises’ return to Japan later this month.
After leaving Genoa on March 27, the Meraviglia-Class is currently on its way to Singapore, where it is set to arrive on April 16.
From Southeast Asia, the Bellissima is set to arrive in Yokohama to kick off a series of local cruises in Japan on April 29.
Sailing roundtrip from the port, the vessel is set to offer charter cruises in the country, in addition to different departures under MSC’s flag.
Also opened for bookings from international markets, the itineraries being offered by the European cruise line include an eight-night voyage sailing on June 12.
Sailing to Japan and South Korea, the cruise features visits to Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Jeju Island and Kobe – where the Bellissima is set to spend one night docked.
Other destinations being visited by the vessel during its Japan program include Naha, Fukuoka, Kanazawa, Hakodate, Kumamoto and more.
The Bellissima is also set to sail to Taiwan, as well as to more destinations in South Korea, with planned visits to Keelung, Busan and other ports.
At 167,600 tons, the 4,500-guest vessel is also set to become one of the largest ships to sail in the Asian market.
The MSC Bellissima was built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France and originally entered service in 2019.
Part of MSC Cruises’ five-ship Meraviglia Class, the vessel offers several different amenities, including the Galleria Bellissima, a 96-meter-long central promenade that features an 80-meter LED dome, in addition to the largest shopping area in the fleet, and a dedicated waterpark.
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