MSC Bellissima Back in Shanghai as Foreign Guest Share Grows

Posted on 19 August, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Bellissima Back in Shanghai as Foreign Guest Share Grows

The MSC Bellissima arrived at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on August 1, entering its third consecutive year of homeport operations at the port and officially launching the company’s 2026 Shanghai summer season.

Marking MSC Cruises’ 20th anniversary in the Chinese market, the Bellissima returns with a series of upgraded offerings, including the MSC Smart Concierge, interactive experiences with Unitree robotics, K-POP-themed parties and Italian cultural heritage cuisine.

President of MSC Cruises China, Helen Huang, said that the 2026 summer season has seen “explosive sales, with some popular routes and cabin categories close to sold out.”

The Bellissima’s return comes as Shanghai’s cruise market continues its recovery. According to the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Tourism Bureau, the city’s ports handled 126 cruise calls and 744,000 passengers in the first half of 2026, representing 59.7 percent and 74.2 percent of the national totals, respectively.

Foreign cruise arrivals via Shanghai grew 37.8 percent year-on-year, with 81.2 percent of those visitors entering under various visa-waiver policies.

The return also reinforces the port’s position as China’s dominant cruise gateway with a second international ship alongside Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas.

The Bellissima’s 2026 summer deployment features sailings, with four- to nine-night itineraries calling at Jeju, Busan, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, Kagoshima and other Japanese and South Korean destinations. The opening voyage was a five-night roundtrip visiting Kitakyushu and Busan before returning to Shanghai.

The ship will return to Shanghai on January 20, 2027, with 28 voyages covering winter, spring, summer and fall travel seasons.

The vessel will continue operating from Shanghai through the summer and early fall, with potential repositioning in late October or early November.

According to MSC Cruises, its international passenger mix is expected to grow. On the August 1 sailing, international guests from Russia, Romania, the United States, Australia and other countries and regions accounted for over 10 percent of passengers.

MSC stated that for some September sailings, the international passenger share is projected to exceed 50 percent.

Court Upholds Bar Harbour’s Limit on Cruise Guests

Posted on 22 August, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

Court Upholds Bar Harbour’s Limit on Cruise Guests

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. District Court’s decision that confirmed that Bar Harbour, Maine, can limit the number of cruise guests arriving in the town daily.

According to local sources, the case has now been sent back to the lower court for further comments and additional review.

Three years ago, Bar Harbour residents voted to limit the number of cruise passengers who can disembark in the town to just 1,000 per day.

As reported by Cruise Industry News at the time, the measure was proposed at a referendum and was endorsed by 58 per cent of the voters.

Supporters said that the town felt “overrun” by cruise ship traffic during peak summer months, which caused congestion and excessive traffic.

According to the Portland Press Herald, Bar Harbour welcomed over 270,000 cruise guests before introducing the limit in 2022.

Citing court files, the local news source said that the town typically welcomed 150 cruise ship calls per year.

A group of local businesses subsequently filed a lawsuit alongside pier owners, touring companies and the local pilotage association.

The parties allege that the ordinance breaks federal laws, including those that regulate interstate commerce, while also interfering with requirements for entrance into the United States and denying seafarers access to shore.

In 2024, a federal judge in Bangor found in favour of the town, deciding that Bar Harbour has home rule authority granted by the state.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals now wants the District Court to determine whether the ordinance is “clearly excessive” when it comes to regulating interstate commerce, the Portland Press Herald added.

The newspaper said that the lower court was also asked to explore whether the ordinance meaningfully advances Bar Harbour’s interest in reducing congestion and whether these results could not be achieved through less burdensome means.

Port of Galveston Preparing for Cruise Growth with Infrastructure Upgrades

Posted on 11 August, 2022 by Spacejunkie2

The Port of Galveston serves over one million passengers per year, ranking it fourth in the United States, and plans to expand its infrastructure with strategic updates in the near future.

The port is investing approximately $33 million in cruise-related infrastructure upgrades, with the goal of reaping millions more in future revenues and economic growth for the community and region, according to a statement by the Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees.

Galveston’s capital improvements are part of the port’s strategic master plan, which was approved by the board in 2019 and will last for the next 20 years. Other projects planned by the port include upgrades to accommodate more and larger ships, as well as more passengers. All of these are funded by the port through cash reserves, operating income, loans, grants, and public/private partnerships.

According to Rees, the port’s most significant expansion will be the addition of a third cruise terminal at Pier 10 in November 2022, a project which was brought to life through a public/private partnership with Royal Caribbean International. The latter is constructing a 161,000-square-foot terminal to homeport its Allure of the Seas and will contribute an estimated $110 million to the project to build the terminal. The port is investing nearly $22 million in pier repairs, site work, utilities, and cruise parking for 1,800 vehicles. This new terminal is expected to generate significant revenue and jobs for the port and regional economy.

As Rees further noted, Galveston also plans to spend about $11 million on improvements at cruise terminals 25 and 28 in preparation for the Carnival Jubilee, which is scheduled to homeport starting in November 2023.

To accommodate the new ship, the port will construct a second gangway, internal improvements to allow for more efficient passenger processing, and a federally mandated facility for US Customs and Border Protection. In addition, beginning this year, the Ruby Princess will sail from December 2022 to April 2023 from cruise terminals 25 and 28.