The new Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Home Port Opening is set to open on November 17, coinciding with the14th China Cruise Shipping Conference & International Cruise Expo hosted by the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association.
At the same time, the Costa neoRomantica will become the first international cruise ship to sail from the new homeport, according to a statement.
The port was so far received 264,700 inbound and outbound passengers and 52 cruise ships this year using a temporary facility.
Recognized as one of the top three Chinese cities behind Beijing and Shanghai, Guangzhou is poised to become a key homeport with a year-round mild climate and close proximity to Hong Long, Macau, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Nansha has been designated as a free trade pilot zone and the cruise industry has been identified as key development area by government officials.
The new terminal is also directly linked to China’s mass transportation system, only a 500 meter walk away.
Eventually the plan is to have four megaship-ready berths, with the port now able to take one mid-sized vessel and one megaship, according to officials.
The new 60,000-square-meter passenger terminal can host 750,000 guests annually and is optimized for 2,000 passengers per hour.
