Advancing into Southern Taiwan！Princess Cruises' First International Luxury Cruise Ship Berths at Kaohsiung Home Port

▲Sapphire Princess is the top-tier luxury cruise ship under Princess Cruises. (Photo / Provided by Princess Cruises)

Reported and photographed by Yu Jiayun / Kaohsiung

Cruise tourism has grown rapidly in Taiwan in recent years. In addition to Keelung, a major port in the north, Kaohsiung, as Taiwan’s port city, has also emerged as a new stopover hub in Asia. The world’s third-largest luxury cruise brand, Princess Cruises, is optimistic about the development of cruise tourism in Southern Taiwan. Tony (Anthony) Kaufman, Executive Vice President of International Operations, personally came to Taiwan to announce the October launch plan from the Kaohsiung home port this year. The brand will bring its most luxurious ship, Sapphire Princess, to Kaohsiung, opening up an entirely new Asian itinerary.

▲Princess Cruises held a press conference today in Kaohsiung to announce the establishment of its Kaohsiung home port. ⟦

Princess Cruises, a brand under the world’s largest cruise line group Carnival Corporation, sees great market potential in Kaohsiung’s international cruise terminal. It has dispatched the Sapphire Princess, renowned for its Alaska itineraries, to Taiwan and is collaborating with the Kaohsiung City Government to create Asia’s most dazzling harbor hub. Tony (Anthony) Kaufman, Executive Vice President of International Operations at Princess Cruises, stated: “Kaohsiung Port’s strategic location as a hub in the Asia-Pacific region makes it ideal for developing Southeast Asian cruises. We’ve chosen Kaohsiung as Princess Cruises’ second home port in Taiwan to promote cruise tourism in southern Taiwan.”

▲ Tony (Anthony) Kaufman, Executive Vice President of International Operations at Princess Cruises, is highly optimistic about the growth of cruise tourism in Taiwan.

The rise of cruise tourism is not only transforming the way Taiwanese travel but also driving the development of Taiwan’s tourism industry. In 2016, Princess Cruises brought 15,000 international visitors to Keelung Port. In response, Liu Xilin, Deputy Director-General of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, expressed gratitude for Princess Cruises’ contributions to southern Taiwan’s tourism and hopes to connect ports in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia to form a new tourism corridor, attracting even more international cruise tourists.

In October 2017, Princess Cruises debuted Kaohsiung as a home port for the first time, with the 110,000-ton Sapphire Princess leading the way. This new luxury travel model, combining both sea and land experiences, offers southern Taiwanese consumers a fresh travel alternative. With sailings from Kaohsiung Port, travelers from southern Taiwan will no longer need to travel to Keelung to board, significantly improving convenience and willingness to cruise for those south of Chiayi. This move is expected to foster a new wave of premium leisure travel. Starting October 19, Princess Cruises launched five cruise routes departing from Kaohsiung, featuring 5 to 6-day journeys to Okinawa, Miyako Island, Hong Kong, and Ha Long Bay.

2017 Kaohsiung Home Port Sailings:
* Okinawa 5-day cruise, Departure: 10/29, 1 sailing. Starting from NT$29,900
* Okinawa & Miyako Island 6-day cruise, Departures: 10/19, 11/2, 2 sailings. Starting from NT$35,990
* Hong Kong & Ha Long Bay 6-day cruise, Departures: 10/24, 11/7, 2 sailings. Starting from NT$35,990