Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Ltd.

The Port of Keelung is riding high the wave of Pacific Asia cruise tourism. Large cruise ships now regularly call at Keelung berths, domestic travelers are able to choose from an expanding menu of cruise vacation options and cruise line brands, and international travelers are increasingly coming to Taiwan specifically to catch a preferred cruise departure, opening new, exciting opportunities for Taiwan’s tourism industry. According to Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) statistics, the Port of Keelung welcomed 400,000 international cruise passengers during the first half of this year, with this number expected to grow to 900,000 by the end of 2017 – an impressive 34% increase over the previous year.

In addition to upgrading its wharves in order to dovetail with the Taiwan expansion plans of various international cruise lines, TIPC recently welcomed the visit of Bruce Krumrine, Vice-President of Shore Excursions for Princess Cruises. The in-depth discussions during the visit centered on ongoing cruise-related infrastructure improvements at Keelung and Mr. Krumrine’s practical suggestions based on his long experience with Princess and the international cruise travel industry. Mr. Krumrine noted that the Port of Keelung possessed the rare advantage of being able to receive large cruise ships in the heart of the city. He further noted that Taiwan already holds an important place in the Asia cruise travel market. The Port of Keelung, he suggested, while retaining its advantageous inner harbor cruise-ship births, should add new cruise ship wharves along the outer harbor in order to ensure adequate parking for tour buses and space for baggage handling facilities. Port officials and Mr. Krumrine had a strong meeting of the minds on TIPC expansion plans for cruise ship berths and the Keelung Port’s new cruise ship reception building, with current plans calling for 3 cruise ship homeport wharves that will add significant new economic luster to both the port and city of Keelung.

On June 30^th, the Port of Keelung welcomed 15,533 passengers through its gates, setting another record high for the port, with overlapping calls by the Majestic Princess, SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Aquarius, Cosco Star, and Taima Star. While this historic event attracted large numbers of eager photographers and cruise-ship enthusiasts, scenes of multiple, bustling cruise ship wharves are clearly becoming increasingly commonplace here.

Contact : Stevedoring & Warehousing Division, Port of Keelung, TIPC

Hsin-wei Lin, Manager   / wealin@twport.com.tw