Cruise ships calling at Taiwan are getting a serious infrastructure upgrade, and the timing could not be better for anyone eyeing an Asia itinerary for 2027.

The headline project is the Penghu International Cruise Terminal, due to open in early 2027 and built to handle ships up to 150,000 tons. Meanwhile, Keelung Port — the gateway for Taipei — is beginning a phased redevelopment of its East Cruise Terminal and waterfront, with plans to berth two ships of up to 250,000 tons at the same time. Shore power facilities are also going in at both Keelung and Kaohsiung, so ships can plug in rather than idle at the dock.

The numbers back the investment. By the end of July 2026, cruise passenger volumes in Taiwan had already passed 800,000, up 22 percent year on year. Keelung hosted three cruise ships simultaneously for the first time in seven years, welcomed the maiden calls of Ritz-Carlton's Luminara and AIDAdiva, and Kaohsiung added MSC Bellissima as a homeported ship. For 2027, Taiwan International Ports Corporation forecasts 305 cruise calls, with port calls up 7 percent and passengers up 4.3 percent.

What makes this more than just bigger docks is the passenger experience. Foreign cruise passengers can now use automated e-Gate immigration lanes — 12 at Keelung and eight at Kaohsiung — which should slash the queues that plague turnaround days at many Asian ports. Terminal signage comes in traditional Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean, terminals display real-time rail, high-speed rail and bus schedules, and there are barrier-free facilities, nursing rooms and family spaces throughout. TIPC has also built tiered shore excursions timed to ship schedules, and plans an AI-powered customer service system plus smart crowd monitoring to smooth passenger, baggage and transport flows.

Why should a traveller care? Taiwan sits at the crossroads of Northeast and Southeast Asian cruise routes, so it works both as a port of call and as a homeport — meaning you can start or end a cruise in Taipei or Kaohsiung and tack on a few days of night markets, hot springs and temple-hopping. With AIDA, MSC and Ritz-Carlton already sending ships, expect more lines and more varied itineraries as the new terminals come online. If you've been waiting to book an Asia cruise that doesn't revolve solely around Japan and Hong Kong, Taiwan is positioning itself as the fresh alternative — and 2027 is the year to do it.