Jan Swartz, global president of Princess Cruises, said today that the cruise line will use Keelung Port as its home port this year, with an expected docking period of over 100 days, setting a new record for the longest stay in history. The total passenger volume is also projected to surpass the 70,000 mark.
Carnival Corporation & PLC’s Princess Cruises has been deeply involved in Asia for over 20 years. Since mid-summer 2013, it first established Keelung and Kaohsiung in Taiwan as home ports, connecting Northeast Asia with neighboring regions and launching a variety of innovative cruise itineraries.
Jan Swartz said that 2016 is a year full of change and innovation, as Princess Cruises invested $450 million in January in the global “The Come Back New Promise” program, which integrates nature and diverse cultures through a series of new ship facilities and activity designs, offering passengers an unprecedentedly rich experience. Not only has it exclusively collaborated with TLC’s handsome chef Curtis Stone, who will introduce exclusive menu items in Princess Cruises’ main dining rooms, but the line will also periodically host world culture festivals unique to Princess Cruises—from the New Orleans Mardi Gras to the Rio Carnival—to let travelers enjoy the most vibrant celebrations from around the globe.
According to statistics from the Taiwan International Ports Corporation, the number of international cruise ships docking at Taiwanese ports in 2015 totaled 610, marking a 20% year-on-year increase compared to 2014. Looking ahead to 2016, the total number of Taiwanese outbound cruise passengers is expected to exceed 250,000.
Xu Jingqi, marketing director of Princess Cruises Taiwan, pointed out that according to observations by Princess Cruises, Taiwanese travelers have traditionally focused on visiting tourist destinations, which differs significantly from Western passengers who view cruising as a vacation style. In recent years, with strong promotion by various companies, Taiwanese people have become increasingly receptive to this new form of travel. Taking Princess Cruises as an example, its main consumer demographic ranges from 30 to 65 years old. Xu analyzed that beyond the well-known silver-haired senior travelers, many white-collar workers, after their first cruise experience, have chosen cruise travel as their top option for family trips and honeymoons, resulting in an overall return rate of over 30%.
In addition to its regular 3–5 day short itineraries this year, Princess Cruises is also launching its first long-haul 6–7 day journeys spanning Japan, South Korea, and China. It has also planned in-depth Japanese cruise routes, including an 8-day itinerary that takes travelers to Okinawa, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—the four main regions of Japan.