Cruise company announces summer trip as international operations resume

China Merchants Viking Cruises has announced a cruise trip that will set sail from either Shanghai or Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on a 15-day cruise tour to Japan in June or July, marking the resumption of international cruise operations in China.

On Friday, China Merchants Viking Cruises announced that its first outbound cruise route after COVID-19 will include several popular tourist destinations in Japan, including Osaka, Nagasaki, Nagoya, Kagoshima and Hiroshima.

The luxury cruise liner CM-Yidun will call at either Shanghai or Shenzhen, and ticket sales will begin in mid-April.

It was the first cruise line to announce the route arrangement on the resumption of international cruise operations from the Chinese mainland, and it came after China's Ministry of Transport announced the resumption of international cruise programs on Thursday.

Throughout the tour, a visa-free policy will be implemented.

"With the release of strong inbound and outbound travel demand, we hope the resumption of outbound cruise operations will send a positive signal for the recovery of the domestic cruise tourism market," said Wu Wei, chairperson of China Merchants Viking Cruises.

A visit to the Oura Cathedral, Miho no Matsubara, a spot on the Miho peninsula with pine trees and views of Mount Fuji on a clear day, and Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), a Zen temple in northern Kyoto, will be included in the itinerary.

The ship, which was built in 2017, has 465 rooms for 930 passengers.

China's Ministry of Transport has released a plan for the resumption of international cruise ship transportation, which will be implemented in a pilot program.

The pilot program will commence in Shanghai and Shenzhen ports, and will

cover cruise ship transportation between ports in China and neighboring

countries and regions.

To participate in the program, cruise ship operators must meet certain conditions, such as strong market demand, sound epidemic prevention and control systems.

The pilot program will last for six months to one year, and will be subject to adjustment based on national epidemic prevention and control policies, inbound and outbound tourism policies, and market conditions.