The cruise ship "Europa" was escorted to the Hongkou North Bund International Passenger Terminal on February 21, marking the first cruise ship to dock at the North Bund in Hongkou in the Year of the Dragon.
"Europa" is a luxury cruise ship designed specifically for the German-speaking tourist market, carrying 283 passengers mainly from Germany and Austria on this trip.
The ship measures 198.6 meters in length and 24 meters in width, featuring amenities like restaurants, leisure facilities, bars, and swimming pools, resembling a "floating resort". The cruise ship has visited China several times before.
To welcome the first cruise ship of the Year of the Dragon to the North Bund, the Huangpu Maritime Bureau has made full preparations.
Zhao Junbo, the deputy captain of the bureau's Bund maritime patrol law enforcement team, explained that the bureau had devised a "one ship, one policy" safety guarantee plan in advance, arranging dedicated personnel, platforms, and boats for round-the-clock monitoring and maintenance.
They explored drones, patrol boats and electronic cruising guidance to efficiently ensure the safe entry of the cruise ship into the port.
The bureau has also strengthened on-site control during peak ship traffic periods, especially for large vessels' traffic flow organization, to reserve ample space and time for the cruise ship's operations, ensuring timely entry and safe docking.
Under the meticulous care of the bureau, passengers smoothly embarked on their Shanghai journey from Hongkou.
The arrival of "Europa" also kicks off this year's cruise season at the North Bund in Hongkou. In the coming months, several cruise ships, including "Seven Seas Explorer," "Merchant Aden," "AIDAbella," and "Century Legend," will dock at the North Bund in Hongkou, bringing tourists from around the world to Shanghai or taking Chinese tourists abroad.
In recent years, Hongkou's shipping industry has continuously strengthened. The district has gathered over 4,500 shipping companies and nearly 40 functional institutions.
Last year, Hongkou released the "Three-Year Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Cruise Economy in Hongkou District (2023-2025)", focusing on port-city integration, industry aggregation, open cooperation, and waterfront linkage, launching four major tasks for the development of the cruise industry.
Hongkou aims to drive the development of the industry chain with the construction of a high-end cruise hub port, attract a high concentration of high-end cruise resources, and build a modern cruise industry service system, according to the district government.