Princess Cruises Is Not Leaving Taiwan, Ports Authority Says

Princess Cruises is not suspending its Taiwan routes, Taiwan’s ports authority said, correcting reports that the company was leaving the market. The company plans to reduce its Asia-Pacific offices and bases while retaining operations in Singapore and Japan.

Princess Cruises is expected to make 14 calls at Taiwan this year and increase that number to 24 next year. The planned calls include 16 at Keelung, six at Kaohsiung and two at Hualien. The authority said Princess could also pursue home-port operations in Taiwan the following year.

Taiwan Ports Corporation General Manager Wang Jin-rong said travelers would be able to buy tickets through Princess Cruises’ global or overseas websites. He said Singapore would serve Southeast Asia, while the Japan office would focus on Northeast Asia, China and Taiwan. The company’s Japan president has visited Taiwan at the authority’s invitation, and discussions with the company’s Japan office and U.S. headquarters will continue.

The authority expects Taiwan to receive 605 cruise ship calls and 1.197 million passengers in 2026. In the first half of the year, 332 ships had called at Taiwan, carrying 628,600 passengers. Twenty international cruise ships are expected to make their first Taiwan voyages, including Ritz-Carlton’s Ilma, Peace Boat’s Pacific World and the expedition ship Island Sky.

Wang said Keelung mainly serves Northeast Asian itineraries, while Kaohsiung handles more routes to southern Japan, Southeast Asia and other destinations. He also said passenger numbers at Keelung could exceed one million this year, a record for the port.