The most sought-after dish on Sun Princess Cruise: The Chairman’s “Heartwarming Beef Noodles”

▲ The Sun Princess made its first voyage from Kaohsiung in October with 1,900 passengers on board. (Photo / Reporter Chen Tzu-yin)

Reporter Chen Tzu-yin / Comprehensive Report

The cruise ship Sun Princess is part of Princess Cruises, renowned as the “world’s best large cruise line.” In October, it made its debut with Kaohsiung as its home port, setting sail with over 1,900 passengers. The voyage passed through Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam, Sanya City in Hainan Island, and then on to Hong Kong. Onboard the all-inclusive Sun Princess, it’s said that the most appealing offering isn’t the European-style plated meals or the extensive buffet—but a steaming bowl of Taiwanese beef noodles.


▲ The delicious beef noodles were so good that guest host and actress Helen Thien (Helen Ching-tao) even said, “I have to have this bowl every day.”


▲ The outdoor area where the beef noodles are served sees passengers lining up early, asking if the noodles are ready yet.

This bowl of beef noodles on the Sun Princess isn’t part of the standard cruise menu, so it’s available only at limited times and in limited quantities during the voyage. The noodles, served daily at 11:30 AM, attract long lines well before they’re even ready—so what makes them so special?According to onboard staff, the Taiwanese overseas travel agency chartered the Sun Princess for this Taiwan itinerary, and these beef noodles were “specifically requested by the chairman, to bring a taste of Taiwan to the ship.”

Ms. Fan, the contact person for the Taiwanese overseas travel agency responsible for the Sun Princess itinerary, said that being able to enjoy Taiwanese beef noodles on a foreign-flagged cruise ship is truly “heartwarming.” She also noted that each bowl contains plenty of ingredients—about seven or eight pieces of beef, more meat than noodles. She explained that due to the use of freezing technology on ships at sea, the availability of beef is limited, and because the noodles are especially popular among Taiwanese passengers, they sell out as soon as they’re served each day.

The Taiwanese overseas travel agency invested 200 million NTD to charter the Princess cruise ship. Chairman Wu Song-bo thoughtfully considered Taiwanese people’s love for beef noodles, and was determined to include them on the cruise. Compared to the local Taiwanese flavor, passenger Mr. Huang commented:“The broth of the Sun Princess beef noodles has a slight Japanese soy sauce flavor, and the noodles are thinner. The beef pieces are tender and practically melt in your mouth.”The Bermuda-flagged Princess Cruises ship features upscale European-style restaurants, and the buffet offers a wide variety of cuisines, such as Italian, Japanese, and American dishes. But this bowl of beef noodles, personally arranged with care by the Taiwanese chairman, seems especially delicious—no wonder passengers are willing to wait in line for a taste..