Holland America Line’s Westerdam docked at Shanghai’s Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Tuesday, February 25, marking the city’s first international cruise call of the Lunar New Year period.

The ship arrived from South Korea’s Jeju Island on a segment of its Grand Asia voyage, carrying nearly 2,000 passengers, predominantly from Europe and North America, according to local media reports, with a notable contingent from the United Kingdom and Canada.

The two nationalities are among those newly covered by China’s expanded 15-day visa-free transit policy, which took effect February 17, making the Westerdam’s call an early real-world test of the measure.

The Shanghai Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau marked the occasion with a welcome ceremony featuring a drone light show over the Huangpu River, with formations of “福” (fortune) and the zodiac horse, alongside traditional lion dances on the pier.

“The arrival of the Westerdam so soon after the policy implementation is a positive signal,” said a spokesperson for the Shanghai Entry-Exit Border Checkpoint. “We have streamlined procedures for cruise arrivals, and the early data shows a successful uptake.”

The ship had a two-day port call before continuing its voyage.