With its return to Shanghai on Thursday, Costa Serena started China's first multi-homeport cruise route with nearly 700 international tourists, after Italian cruise line Costa Cruises withdrew from the Asian market due to the global coronavirus pandemic and diminished tourists in 2022.
On Thursday morning, international tourists disembarking from Costa Serena shared their plans during their stay in Shanghai.
"This is the second time for me (to visit Shanghai) and this is the first time for her. Today I want to go to Yuyuan, walk around there, go shopping and have a tea time," said a Japanese tourist.
"This is the very first time I visit Shanghai and there's so much to explore in Shanghai," said a Mongolian tourist.
The Costa Serena's return marked the official launch of China's multi-homeport cruise route, allowing tourists to board the ship in Shanghai, Japan's Fukuoka, and South Korea's Jeju.
Later on Thursday, about 2,500 passengers in total -- including 700 international tourists who disembarked in the morning and more than 1,800 new travelers -- left Shanghai by Costa Serena.
Industry insiders expect the new route to further advance the development of China's cruise industry.
"I think this is a good attempt. While it brings in tourists visiting the port, it also attracts Chinese passengers to get on board. The diversification of products could drive the cruise market," said Peng Zhaoyun, president assistant of Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal.
In 2006, Shanghai launched China's first international homeport route with cruise ship Costa Alanga, marking a starting point for the country's cruise market.
Costa Serena starts China's first multi-homeport cruise route
The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked since Saturday evening and will not reopen until the United States lifts its naval blockade on the waterway.
In a statement carried by its official news outlet Sepah News, the IGRC said that the move came after the United States violated its commitments under the two-week ceasefire, which took effect on April 8, and failed to end its naval blockade against Iranian vessels and ports.
The IRGC Navy called on all vessels and their owners to follow official updates via its channel and VHF Channel 16, the international maritime distress, safety, and calling frequency. The statements by U.S. President Donald Trump hold no credibility in the strait and the Gulf, it added.
The IRGC warned that no vessel should move from its anchorage in the Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, and any approach to the strait would be deemed "cooperation with the enemy" and targeted accordingly.
Tehran's political leadership echoed the IRGC's firm position. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran's control, revealing that during previous negotiations, Iran had firmly countered U.S. attempts to carry out minesweeping operations, which Tehran viewed as a ceasefire violation.
He said the situation had come close to conflict, but the U.S. had eventually backed off.
Calling the U.S. maritime blockade "reckless and ignorant," Ghalibaf warned that passage through the strait would certainly be restricted if Washington does not lift the blockade.
Underpinning these public announcements, Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Saturday affirmed the country's resolve to exercise control and supervision over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved in the region.
For its part, the United States pressed ahead with its own military measures.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that the U.S. military is imposing a maritime blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and nearby coastal areas. Since the blockade began on April 13, 23 ships have complied with U.S. directions to turn around.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is preparing in the coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
The move will enable the U.S. to take control of Iran-linked vessels around the world, including ships carrying Iranian oil that are already sailing outside the Persian Gulf and those carrying arms that could support Tehran, the report said.
Iran's IRGC says Strait of Hormuz blocked, demands end to US naval blockade
