The Ocean Fuji cruise ship (海洋富士號) canceled its scheduled January 22 arrival at Taichung Port (台中港), once again dashing hopes for the city, which has waited nearly seven years for a cruise ship to dock.

Hotels themselves propose the registered maximum price when submitting pricing for record. The local authority reviews the submission for formality and compliance, but does not set or “approve” an arbitrary cap based on economic fairness. Authorities may reject filings for procedural issues, but they do not set price levels based on “market fairness.”

People in the city may have finally gotten used to seeing a tram/train glide through city streets.

“The metro will reshape daily life and urban patterns in Tainan,” the bureau said. “We are integrating rail construction with parking facilities and surrounding land development to build a more livable and accessible city.”

One Threads user said a room that normally costs around NT$2,000 per night appeared to rise to NT$18,000 after midnight, accusing hotels of exploiting demand and calling on city authorities to investigate.

The state-run operator said international cruise traffic has fully rebounded from the pandemic, with 567 cruise ship calls last year carrying approximately 1.16 million passengers, surpassing pre-COVID levels.

By RK Shih/Staff -Photo via Taiwanderers PINGTUNG — Once packed with tour buses and weekend crowds, Kenting is now confronting a prolonged…

Star Cruises’ “2.0” expansion includes direct Keelung-to-Japan sailings launching August 2, featuring an eight-day itinerary visiting both Tokyo and Osaka — the only cruise route in Taiwan to offer this combination. Additional routes include six-day Japan-Korea itineraries and shorter Okinawa sailings.

Advance ticket sales begin January 13 at midnight for eastern corridor reserved-seat trains, including Yilan, North-Link, South-Link, and cross-line services. Western corridor ticket sales open January 14 at midnight, with bookings available for travel through February 23. Real-name eastern corridor trains open for booking at midnight on January 15 for passengers whose ID numbers begin with U or V, registered residents of Hualien or Taitung counties, and their spouses or first-degree relatives.

Nationwide, Taiwan currently has 491 intercity bus routes, including 140 freeway routes and 351 conventional highway services , but many existing routes were planned 20 to 30 years ago and no longer match current travel patterns. The bureau is now reviewing major corridors, including Taipei–Keelung, Taipei–Taoyuan, Taipei–Taichung, Taipei–Tainan, and Taipei–Kaohsiung, to assess possible route mergers, frequency adjustments, and new stop placements.