SuperStar Gemini from Hong Kong's cruise ship company, Star Cruises, arrived at Dongdu port in Xiamen, Fujian province in July. The cruise liner is expected to make 70 trips to Xiamen in 2019, which will set a record for the longest cruise season in the coastal city.

Trips on cruise ships are gaining popularity among Chinese tourists in recent years.

According to Taihainet, the cruise trips and passenger throughput of the Xiamen home port for international cruise liners are on record-breaking runs in 2019. Xiamen home port launched 61 cruise ships and its passenger throughput reached 185,000, with year-on-year growth of 36 percent.

Xiamen home port has been equipped with hardware capacities to receive 220,000 tons of cruise ships, and from July to December a raft of measures will be rolled out to accelerate the speed at which Xiamen steps into the age of the "Big Ship".

SuperStar Gemini from Hong Kong's cruise ship company, Star Cruises, arrives at Dongdu port area in Xiamen, Fujian province in July. [Photo/ IC]