International ocean cruise traffic to and from ports in China is set for full resumption, on the basis of the pilot resumption in the Shanghai and Shenzhen cruise ports, said China's Ministry of Transport (MOT).
International cruise ships carry a large number of passengers, with a long sailing time at sea and high emergency procedure requirements. The transport authorities of ports where the cruise ships call shall, together with relevant departments, organize a review of the readiness of the cruise transport and port enterprises for operation resumption, said the MOT in an announcement published on Tuesday.
Requirements for the resumption of cruise voyages include the corresponding qualifications of the cruise ship transportation and port enterprises. Cruise ships must meet safety and seaworthiness conditions, and cruise ships must match the berthing capacity of the cruise ports, according to the announcement.
Some cruise trips departing from Shanghai and South China’s Shenzhen have already succeeded in their resumption trials.
For example, the Blue Dream Star, departing from Shanghai Baoshan Port in August, became the first Chinese cruise ship to South Korea in six years. It included a five-day trip to Nagasaki in Japan via Jeju Island in South Korea, according to the official website of the operator, Blue Dream Cruises China.
The MOT also vowed to enhance the management of the cruise transport market.
Also on Tuesday, Li Xiaopeng, the minister of transport, met with Soren Toft, CEO of Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A (MSC) in Beijing.
It is hoped that MSC can maintain communication with Chinese shipping enterprises, port enterprises, scientific research institutions and other units, and strengthen cooperation in the application of clean energy and the use of shore power on ships, the MOT said.
According to MSC, its subsidiary MSC Cruises is the world’s largest privately owned cruise line and is a market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa.
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