Qingdao’s cruise home port recently announced the first batch of cruise routes from February to April this year. Among the six routes, one route is already fully occupied, and the ticket booking rate for many other routes has reached 70%.

The first batch of cruise routes include both visiting port cruise ships and departure port cruise ships. “Europa” from Germany, one of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships,  has visited Qingdao for a fifth time on February 29 as the first visiting port cruise ship to arrive at Qingdao international cruise home port after resumes operation. More than 400 tourists from such foreign countries and regions as Germany, Switzerland and Austria were berthed in Qingdao, disembark and visit tourist attractions such as Laoshan Mountain, Qingdao Beer Museum and Dabao Island to experience thoroughly the charm of Qingdao.

The “Mediterranean”, a flagship cruise ship of Adora Cruises, will carry passengers from Xiamen to Qingdao on March 24. More than 2,000 tourists from Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan and Guizhou will tour around “a fashionable Qingdao”. On March 28, the “Mediterranean” will operate in a row three voyages in which Qingdao is the port of departure. On April 9, the “Mediterranean” will depart from Qingdao and return to Xiamen via stopovers. In all the four voyages, ports in Japan and South Korea will be visited.

The impressive ticket sales rate for cruise routes, in which Qingdao serves as the port of departure, is attributable to the fact that an increasing number of citizens deepen their knowledge of cruise ships and cruise ship culture through field visits, lectures on cruise ships and the international cruise festival, so as to include cruise tourism as one of their travel options.

Reportedly, more than 20 voyages of cruise ships have been operated in Qingdao this year. The Qingdao international cruise home port has the plan to launch “themed voyages” in collaboration with cruise companies to “relocate” Qingdao elements on board and diversify Qingdao shore sightseeing into in-depth travel across Jiaodong Peninsula and Shandong Province.  (Yu Ruixin)

The “Mediterranean” cruise ship gets berthed in the Qingdao cruise home port.