By E.H. EDEJER | March 12, 2026

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Four international cruise ships are expected to visit Subic Bay starting this Saturday, March 14, and until mid-April, buoying hopes for the revival of this sea port and economic zone as a regular cruise stop among Southeast Asian destinations.

According to the Tourism Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), MS Crystal Symphony will dock here on March 14, followed by Adora Mediterranea on March 26, MS Amadea on March 30, and MV Piano Land on April 6 and 16.

MS Crystal Symphony, which is owned by luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent and operated for Crystal Cruises, will bring some 1,136 passengers to Subic.

The Subic visit is part of the ship’s 58-days cruise from Mombasa to Tokyo. The ship has made stops at Puerto Princesa on March 8, Coron on March 10, and Boracay on March 11, before proceeding to Manila on March 12 and Subic on March 14.

Meanwhile, Adora Mediterranea, which is Spirit-class cruise ship operated by China-based Adora Cruises, is expected to arrive with a total of 3,592 passengers and crew. The ship currently offers itinerarires in Southeast Asia from various Chinese homeports like Tianjin, Dalian, and Qingdao.

MS Amadea, owned by Amadea Shipping Company and operated under charter by the Germany-based Phoenix Reisen, will arrive with 916 persons on board. The liner is currently on a 146-days cruise from Bremer, Germany to the Canary Islands and will also make scheduled stops in Manila on March 31, Romblon on April 1, Coron on April 2, and Puerto Princesa on April 3.

The fourth cruise ship, MV Piano Land, which is operated by Corazul Cruceros, a newly-formed Chinese cruise line, will be in Subic for two scheduled visits next month with 2,722 passengers and crew. Piano Land began homeport oeprations in Hong Kong in April 2025 to offer regional Asian itineraries but began homeporting in Malaysia in November last year.

SBMA tourism officials said the scheduled arrival of the cruise ships would “add another layer of magic to life in Subic Bay” and further boost the local tourism industry.

Subic has launched a successful cruise tourism program in 2018, bringing in a total of 37 cruise liners with more than 49,000 recorded passengers until 2019, and generating an estimated P173 million in tourism receipts for Central Luzon.

The program attracted colossal cruise liners like the 18-decker Spectrum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, but was cut short when the Covid-19 pandemic practically killed the cruise industry in 2020.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduard Jose Aliño has said that Subic is now eyeing a revitalized cruise ship program with the planned development of a dedicated cruise ship terminal to establish Subic as a premier turnaround hub in Southeast Asia.

The P10.2-billion development will include the construction of a two-berth jetty, passenger terminal, as well as leisure and commercial areas. ▲