Taiwan’s cruise market has continued to thrive in recent years, rising to become the second-largest in Asia. YU Kuo-chen, General Manager of travel agency Lion Travel (2731), believes that Taiwanese travelers’ acceptance of cruise tourism is gradually increasing. With various operators strengthening their Asian route layouts and deploying new fleets to call at Taiwanese ports, he is optimistic that Taiwan’s cruise passenger growth could maintain a momentum of around 20% annually for the next five years.
Lion Travel this year exclusively chartered two cherry blossom cruises on the "Majestic Princess," contributing NT$350 million in revenue. Next year, it will continue with four exclusive cherry blossom cruises on the "Sun Princess" and launch one exclusive voyage for the "Venetian Princess"’s Asia debut before Mother’s Day. YU expects that if all five exclusive voyages sell out, they could contribute NT$600 million in revenue, a 70% increase over this year.
YU pointed out that cruises are gradually becoming another travel option for Taiwanese people, and the age group choosing cruise vacations has shifted downward from 55 to 50. Moreover, family groups and multi-generational travelers make up the majority, which is significantly different from the mainly middle-aged and elderly, mobility-impaired clientele seen in European and American cruise markets—resulting in notably different traveler demands.
As Taiwan becomes the second-largest source of cruise passengers in Asia, many cruise operators have adjusted their strategies accordingly, gradually incorporating their latest fleets into Taiwanese ports. They also make annual changes to cater to Asian market demands. For instance, although the "Sun Princess" from Princess Cruises is an older vessel, it underwent a recent refurbishment in June and adjusted its onboard facilities to meet the needs of family travelers.
This year, the Sun Princess made its first call in Taiwan with Keelung as its home port, significantly enhancing its children's entertainment facilities. In collaboration with the renowned science channel Discovery, it launched the "Discovery Explorers Camp," offering themed spaces for children of different age groups across three zones. The ship also added the SHARE Restaurant, featuring an exclusive collaboration with celebrity chef Curtis Stone to create a brand-new cruise dining atmosphere.
YU noted that the Sun Princess’s family-friendly maritime experiences have been highly attractive, with almost all its summer voyage slots sold out this year. As a result, next year it will exclusively charter the Sun Princess and offer four cherry blossom cruises ranging from 4 to 6 days. With early-bird discounts driving interest, total sales for the four voyages have already reached 50%, and sales are expected to exceed 60% after the summer season ends.
YU pointed out that the cherry blossom season is the second strongest sales period of the year, only behind the Lunar New Year holiday, with tour prices about 10–20% higher than usual. Taking this year’s 5-day Japan cherry blossom tour as an example, average tour prices were around NT$40,000, with those coinciding with the Qingming holiday break even reaching NT$50,000. Early-bird registration now comes with a NT$5,000 discount, plus an additional NT$2,000 off when booked with any of the four major banks—effectively offering a 25% discount on flights and hotels combined.
YU stated that this year’s two exclusive cruise charters contributed NT$350 million in revenue. Next year, five exclusive voyages are planned, and if all sell out, they could generate NT$600 million in revenue—a 70% year-on-year increase—with profits expected to exceed 20%. Including alliance sales, this year’s cruise revenue is estimated at around NT$700 million, and next year’s is projected to surpass NT$1 billion, reflecting approximately 40% growth.
(Times News Service)