Cruise Tourism Booms as Largest Korean Tourist Group Arrives in Shanghai
On January 16, the MSC Lirica Cruise and Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas returned to Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, marking the start of the 2025 homeport operations in China.
On the morning of January 16, as two large international cruise ships docked, more than 9,000 tourists from both China and abroad entered Shanghai through the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, beginning their Shanghai journey. At the arrival hall of the Terminal 2 building, Baoshan held a welcoming ceremony for the two ships’ return, entertaining both domestic and international tourists with traditional cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, and free souvenirs. The terminal provided convenient services for tourists, including customs clearance, entry consultation, currency exchange, and SIM card activation, leaving tourists eager to explore Shanghai.
“This is our first time taking this beautiful cruise to Shanghai,” said Mayne, a foreign tourist. “We woke up to the sunrise and watched the skyline by the sea, an unseen beauty. We plan to visit Disneyland in Shanghai and enjoy local foods.”
“China has always been a top destination for us,” said Jason, another foreign tourist. “It used to take quite a bit of time to get a visa, but with the visa-free policy now in place, I believe more Korean tourists will visit China.”
It is reported that over 1,000 Korean tourists arrived in Shanghai aboard the MSC Lirica Cruise. These Korean tourists could become the largest group of Korean tourists to enter China since the implementation of the visa-free policy for citizens of Korea and eight other countries with ordinary passports in November 2024.
According to the President of MSC Cruises China, starting in 2025, Korea will implement a visa-free policy for group tourists traveling with cruise companies to China. The MSC Lirica’s first voyage of the New Year on January 16 will be the first to benefit from the visa-free policy. These measures will further promote the sound development of the Northeast Asian cruise economy, enhancing the convenience of travel for cruise tourists and improving the competitiveness of the regional cruise market.
With the return of international cruises to Shanghai’s homeport, the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal has further solidified its position as the largest cruise homeport in Asia. As China’s entry policies are further optimized, including the full relaxation of transit visa exemption policies, international cruise companies have expressed increased confidence in the Chinese market. According to current docking plans, the number of cruise voyages for the MSC Lirica and Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas in 2025 will significantly increase compared to 2024, with Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas seeing a 45% year-on-year growth in voyages, and MSC Lirica increasing by over 30%.
During the 2025 Spring Festival, five international cruise ships, including Adora Magic City, MSC Lirica, Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas, Astro Ocean Cruise’s Piano Land, and Blue Dream Melody, will operate nine voyages from Wusongkou, making it the busiest Spring Festival holiday in the terminal’s history. “Our port will continue to provide excellent services, including adding some Spring Festival decorations to the terminal to make travelers feel the warmth of Shanghai’s New Year. We will also collaborate with relevant government departments and port authorities to ensure smooth customs clearance, ensuring the safe arrival and departure of travelers,” said a representative from Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal Development Co.
It is reported that ticket sales for the cruise voyages during the Spring Festival are booming, with the tickets for Adora Magic City and MSC Lirica already sold out. In 2025, MSC Lirica will enhance its food, accommodation, entertainment, and travel experiences, offering a series of themed voyages including those for the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, with festive foods and activities creating a vibrant atmosphere for the upcoming maritime New Year journey. The Spring Festival voyages have attracted a large number of family groups spanning three generations.
Product innovation matters in promoting cruise tourism. In 2025, MSC Lirica will feature crossover, offering activities such as crosstalk performances, traditional dressing photo services, and lectures on Chinese classics and intangible cultural heritage, bringing Chinese traditional culture to international cruises and meeting Chinese tourists’ diverse cultural experience needs. Royal Caribbean will partner with the children’s education brand Qiaohu to launch educational and fun family-oriented cruise trips. In 2025, the new VR Antarctic Starry Sea Adventure will allow guests to explore the vast starry sky and mysterious underwater world through virtual reality technologies. China Cruises will collaborate with iQIYI to create the “Asian New Voices” program. Gulangyu cruise ship plans to embark from Shanghai to retrace the “Maritime Silk Road,” creating a musical journey at sea. As an important part of cruise vacations, Adora Cruises will also offer 101 shore excursion routes, combining cultural, artistic, historical, and natural elements at cruise destinations to provide a rich experience for tourists seeking novelty and deep cultural exploration.
In 2024, the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal operated 208 cruises and welcomed 1.3413 million inbound and outbound passengers. In 2025, the terminal is expected to operate 206 cruises and welcome 1.53 million passengers.
Focusing on the development of Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, Baoshan is accelerating the development of an international tourism resort through enriching the surrounding commercial, cultural, and sports amenities, and providing more leisure services for cruise tourists and crew members. With the opening of exclusive dining and accommodation projects like Shanghai Sea World, TUI Blue, Cordis, and CM+ Service Apartment, the “Wusongkou Sunrise Index” and the “Wusongkou Sunrise Square” have been released, accompanied by exciting drone and fireworks shows that continuously attract visitors to the riverside. Moving forward, the resort will further promote cooperation between ships, ports, and shores, while developing more go-to places and enhancing the riverside experience featuring Wusongkou Sunrise Viewing, to fully unlock the potential of cruise-related consumption.
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