A cruise liner made history on Thursday when it docked off Penghu, allowing its 1,300 tourists to disembark and visit the outlying island.
Taiwan International Ports Corp’s Magong office director Chang Hsien-chang (張憲章) said the Legend of the Seas, which arrived from Xiamen, China, is the largest cruise liner Penghu has hosted since Magong Port (馬公港) was opened to foreign passenger and cargo vessels in 2007.
The Legend of the Seas is a 70,000-tonne cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean. The vessel was originally scheduled to arrive on Thursday last week, but the visit was postponed as several typhoons were influencing weather conditions in the region.
Photo: CNA
Because Magong Port is not deep enough, the ship instead anchored off an island nearby and its passengers were ferried to Magong in smaller vessels.
In the welcoming ceremony for the Legend of the Seas, both the Magong County Government and Taiwan International Port Corp were presented with commemorative plaques and ribbons. There was also a water spray party that attracted a large number of local residents.
According to Royal Caribbean, the Legend of the Seas is the most-traveled ship in its Caribbean fleet, and has been based in the Americas, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific. It has one of the longest cruise routes in the world, with some packages offering cruises between China and Australia.
In September, the largest cruise ship in the world, the Oasis of the Seas, is also set to anchor in Magong Port following the completion of plans to increase its holding capacity by 410 meters.
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