The cruise ship "Star Voyager" visits Sanya on the first day of the Lunar New Year, providing passengers with a unique Spring Festival experience

On February 17, 2026, the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise Terminal welcomed its first international cruise ship of the year – the Star Cruises "Star Voyager". Witnessed by the morning sun and sea breeze, the cruise ship docked smoothly, presenting Sanya with a special "New Year's gift" and marking a promising start to the new year for the Sanya cruise industry.

To welcome the first international cruise ship of the Year of the Horse and its passengers, the Sanya Central Business District organized a warm welcome event at the port. Lion dances and the sounds of drums and gongs extended New Year's greetings to over 1,800 arriving passengers. The dock was decorated with a festive atmosphere, allowing cruise passengers to immediately feel the vibrant Spring Festival spirit and the warmth of a tropical island upon entering Sanya.

"The lion dance performance was the first thing we saw after disembarking; the festive atmosphere was immediately apparent!" said Ms. Chen, a passenger from Hong Kong, with a smile. "The weather in Sanya is so comfortable; my whole family is really looking forward to today's itinerary." The “Star Voyager” cruise ship is currently operating the "Hong Kong-Sanya-Hong Kong" route, with the theme "Floral Blossoms at Sea," incorporating a lion dance performance to welcome the God of Wealth. Subsequent voyages will also offer cultural experiences such as intangible cultural heritage hairpin making, a seaside temple fair, and a Hanfu red carpet show. During the cruise ship's stop in Sanya, passengers can visit famous attractions such as Tianya Haijiao and Coconut Dream Corridor, experiencing the festive atmosphere and scenery of this tropical coastal city and spending a unique Spring Festival.

Since its inaugural mainland China route in the fall of 2025, the “Star Voyager” has visited Sanya multiple times. In 2026, the Sanya Central Business District Administration and Star Cruises further deepened their cooperation. This visit by the “Star Voyager” not only marks its maiden voyage after the Spring Festival but also the beginning of its high-frequency operation of international cruise routes to Sanya in 2026. According to the plan, the cruise ship will operate 10 international cruise voyages to Sanya between February and April 2026, focusing on the "Hong Kong-Sanya" route to provide passengers with a high-quality seaside resort experience. This will further solidify the cruise tourism channel between the two cities and lay the foundation for stable operations in subsequent seasons.

Qian Xiaoming, deputy director of the Sanya Central Business District Administration Bureau, said that the arrival of the “Star Voyager” on the first day of the Lunar New Year is not only a high recognition of the prospects of the Sanya cruise market and the advantages of the free trade port policy, but also a good start for the development of the Sanya cruise industry in 2026.

Currently, Sanya is steadily advancing the construction of a 100,000-ton cruise ship berth, which will significantly enhance its capacity to accommodate large cruise ships upon completion. The "Measures for Promoting the Development of the Cruise, Yacht, and Cruise Ship Industry in the Sanya Central Business District" has been officially issued, providing precise support across the entire chain, including route development, customer attraction, fuel supply guarantees, and industry promotion. The "Work Plan for Cultivating Leading Enterprises in the Industrial Chain of the Sanya Central Business District" has also been successively introduced, aiming to cultivate leading enterprises to guide the extension, supplementation, and strengthening of the industrial chain, building a modern industrial system with the park's unique characteristics and advantages, and promoting the clustering and high-quality development of the park's industries. In the future, the park will continue to deepen strategic cooperation with domestic and international cruise companies, accelerate the construction of a complete ecosystem encompassing "route development—cruise services—industrial support," and inject strong "blue energy" into Sanya's accelerated development into a globally influential cruise tourism pilot zone.

The arrival of spring brings new life to Sanya, a city revitalized by the rising tide. The first cruise ship whistle of the 2026 Lunar New Year has drifted into Sanya on the sea breeze. This coastal city at 18° North latitude is welcoming every cruise ship carrying dreams with an increasingly open attitude and ever-improving services, writing a new chapter of openness in the South China Sea for a new era.