By KHT Staff
TAICHUNG — A strong northeast monsoon and cold air mass sweeping across Taiwan forced the Mitsui Ocean Fuji cruise ship (海洋富士號) to cancel 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.
Port authorities said the ship’s operator notified them on Tuesday that worsening weather conditions made entry unsafe. Taichung Port officials said all preparations had already been completed three months ago, making the last-minute cancellation especially disappointing, although they expressed understanding of the safety decision.
The port now looks ahead to upcoming scheduled calls by other international cruise liners, including Island Sky in April, Odyssey in June, and World in October.
Taichung Still Without Cruise Arrivals
According to Taiwan International Ports Corporation data, major cruise ports such as Keelung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Penghu, and Suao have all received cruise ships in recent years — Taichung remains the only major port with zero arrivals.
In December 2024, the Taichung City Government publicly announced a cruise arrival expected to bring more than 2,000 passengers. That visit was also canceled at the last minute due to rough seas and strong winds, with the ship rerouted to Kaohsiung Port instead, leaving local residents disappointed.
Port Infrastructure Ready, But Weather Wins
Liu Ying-min (劉英敏), director of the port terminal division, said wind speeds reached Force 7 on the Beaufort scale, while offshore wave heights hit Force 5, exceeding minimum safety thresholds for cruise ship docking. Liu added that although large cruise ships have not docked in Taichung for several years, the port has continued upgrading its passenger service center over the past two to three years.
Work has included upgrades to air conditioning systems, escalators, barrier-free elevators, immigration counters, and animal and plant quarantine inspection areas
Cruise Plans Repeatedly Thwarted
Taichung Port had announced plans to welcome four international cruise ships in 2026 and two more in 2027, including Ocean Fuji, Island Sky, Odyssey, and World. Officials described the vessels as luxury-class liners symbolizing a new chapter for Taichung’s cruise tourism.
However, port staff admitted they had already feared another cancellation as strong winds exceeding Force 7 were frequently recorded inside the harbor, while offshore wave heights reached up to five meters.
Councilor Urges Better Transport Links
Taichung City Councilor Yang Dian-zhong (楊典忠) noted that since December 24, 2019, when the Costa NeoRomantica brought 1,800 passengers to Taichung, the city has not hosted a single cruise ship.
Yang criticized repeated cancellations and pointed to structural issues, which he said included the long distance between the port and city attractions, inconvenient public transportation, and weak tour package planning
He urged the city government to work more closely with port authorities to improve external transportation links and develop tourism packages that make Taichung a more attractive cruise destination.
Source: UDN
