From Port Klang To Phuket: The Ultimate Cosplay Adventure At Sea Starts Now

For the first time in the country, StarCruises, together with ACG Festiverse and AniMania Festival, will celebrate Malaysia’s very first onboard cosplay competition, named CosCruise: Cosplay Championship at Sea. The event will be held during the Star Voyager’s 5-day cruise, and will be held between December 2 – 6, 2026. The event is set to celebrate cosplay and creative cultures at the cruise, and also to promote the diverse fandoms. From Port Klang, the cruise is set to sail to destinations like Singapore and Phuket, and will allow people to showcase and present their cosplays.

For StarCruises, events like these are first of their kind. Their guests will also receive the chance to see the crafts of cosplayers compete for the title of CosCruise Champion at Sea, as they view the Southeast Asia cosplayers. The cruise is also set to be an extraordinary experience with a prize of 2,000 RM to the winner.

An All-New Experience for Cosplay Competitions

StarCrusies, which has been part of the luxury cruise industry for several years, has diversified its business by organizing the CosCruise competition, which is aimed at bringing together Southeast Asia’s cosplayers and showcasing their talents on a luxury cruise. StarCruises has a reputation for organizing high-quality events, which is why the company’s entry into the cosplay cruise competition is a first of its kind for Southeast Asia and for StarCruises.

In Michael Goh’s words, the president of StarDream Cruises, “We hope that every participant walks away from the event with a remarkable experience.” He also noted that the event is a celebration, and not just a competition, of creativity and the potential impact of culture and imagination. He also looks forward to the cosplayers and the audience joining him on the Star Voyager for an exciting journey and experience while on the cruise.

The event is structured so that participants compete live on board the Star Voyager, with the winner taking home the Grand Prize. The cosplayers selected to participate in the event will receive an all-expenses-paid cruise and the opportunity to perform on stage in front of an audience and a panel of judges.

CosCruise Competition Dates and Itinerary Cruise CosCruise will take place during a four-night round-trip from Port Klang. The Star Voyager will visit Phuket and Singapore on its way, and guests are free to explore the cities and enjoy the event on the seas. It is the first \n\nFor those who wish to cruise before the event, we will sail Star Voyager on regular scheduled cruises beginning in December 2025. Specifically, we will begin 3-night and 4-night sails from December 19, 2025, to February 2, 2026. Our 3-night cruises are round-trip from Port Klang to Bintan and Singapore. For the 4-night cruise, guests will sail from Port Klang to Phuket (also stopping in Singapore). Travelers on these sails will join the cruise community, enjoy the luxurious amenities on the Star Voyager, and make the most of their trip with onboard activities.

A Stage to Showcase Regional Talent

CosCruise is expected to garner many entries from various cosplay communities in Malaysia and the surrounding areas. To promote inclusion, StarCruises will allow entrants to submit applications starting December 12, 2025, through January 12, 2026. The applications will be evaluated to different levels of creativity and craftsmanship, and the best will be promoted to the cruise event. The names of successful entrants will be published on the event’s official website on January 19, 2026.

The experienced cosplayers will be the first to take part in a cruise dedicated to the celebration of cosplay. With the Workshop and Grand Prize of RM2,000, the event will position itself as a major cosplay competition, while also promoting Malaysia’s creative scene.

A Fun Celebration of Fandoms and Fantasy

Outside of the cosplay competition, CosCruise is an experience focused on celebrating cosplay in all of its forms. Every participant and attendee will have the opportunity to bond over shared interests and passions and find themselves in a realm where the imaginary and the real collide. Since it is an international event, it will introduce Malaysian audiences to an array of different cosplay cultures and styles, providing the event with an entertaining, educational, and cultural component.

In addition, all guests and participants will be well accommodated on the Star Voyager cruise, which is an extravagant cruise ship. CosCruise is more than just a competition, as it will provide an experience of a lifetime. With world-class dining, an array of onboard entertainment, and cosplay, it will be a travel experience like no other.

Conclusion: An Incredible Adventure

StarCruises and the Southeast Asia cosplay community have begun a new chapter with the launch of CosCruise. It combines the excitement of an international cruise with cosplay competitions where contestants showcase their creativity. Given that the cosplay community is deeply rooted in many different cultures, the cruise will serve as an international platform for cultural exchange. CosCruise will be a game-changing experience that will transcend the borders of cosplay and cruise travel.

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Taiwan’s Cruise Market Is About To Explode: Here’s What You Need To Know

Taiwan is getting ready for its most successful cruise season. Recent studies estimate cruise travelers will hit 1.1 million in 2026. This will also be record-breaking for the island. This is the first time the island is expected to hit the 1 million mark since 2019. With the expected results in homeporting, more ships positioning themselves in the area, and new port construction in the area, Taiwan is ready for a significant increase in cruise travelers. Officials from Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) are optimistic about Taiwan’s cruise infrastructure and cruise traffic continuing to grow.

Taiwan’s Expanding Cruise Market

Taiwan is expecting 304 cruise disbursements, 167 turnarounds, and 137 transit calls, and an estimated 1,119,800 cruise disbursements will be arriving on the island in 2026. Of Taiwan’s cruise ports, Keelung, Taiwan’s largest cruise port, will be hosting most arrivals. Keelung is expected to receive 225 cruise calls, 925,000 cruise disbursements, and is located in a strategic position to be a major port for cruises to Japan and South Korea.

Kaohsiung, like all the other recent ports, including Keelung, that have also been busy with cruise mobility, is the next cruise destination port, with at least 54 cruise arrivals anticipated in 2023, cementing Kaohsiung’s role in Taiwan’s evolving “multi-port deployment strategy”. Kaohsiung will become a key port after the completion of the cruise terminal in 2024.

Hualien, Suao, Taichung, Anping, and Penghu ports are also key players, all ensuring that Taiwan has a diverse offering of cruise mobility. Not all ports in Taiwan must have a well-developed cruise terminal. The cruise mobility is growing, which increases demand and pressure on the port. Taiwan, due to the investment from the national government and the growing cruise mobility demand, will become a competitive destination in the cruise industry.

At the end of 2023, Taiwan will have made improvements at all its cruise terminals to accommodate larger and more opulent cruise ships. A new cruise terminal is positioned at Suao and is designed for more luxurious ships. Penghu Island has become a top destination and has also made significant improvements to its pier.

The TIPC has announced the likely future enhancement of biometric passport controls and facial recognition software at the ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung for 2026. These upgrades will streamline the boarding cruise processes and thereby improve cruise travel experiences. These upgrades will be a positive enhancement to how Taiwan is viewed as a cruise destination. The TIPC is also working on the installation of shore power systems at both ports. These systems will allow cruise ships to power up while docked, with a positive impact on Taiwan’s green economy. These investments in port systems are part of Taiwan’s cruise line destination strategy and overall port systems green economy. Cruise Market Demographics in Taiwan is also shifting to more.

The cruise market in Taiwan is also undergoing a shift in passenger demographics. There has been an increase in transit calls, with fewer ships homeporting in Taiwan. This means that Taiwan is seeing more international cruise guests, particularly from the United States and Germany, likely because Taiwan is an international cruise destination port of call. This increase in international cruise passenger visitation is supporting the Taiwan tourism industry, largely for accommodations, excursions, and travel supporting services.

The immediate increase in international visitors has been credited to travel marketing strategies positioning the country as a vital cruise stop with improved port amenities. Taiwan’s ports are becoming part of longer regional itineraries, increasing the island’s ranking as a top cruise stop in East Asia. Recently, Taiwan regional ports have been in high demand.

Reasons to Choose Taiwan

The TIPC has implemented several strategies designed to fully build on the potential of Taiwan’s cruise market. These are primarily cruise industry-friendly, featuring dockage and passenger service fees discounts, tailored to cruise schedules. Also, certain cruise operators are receiving rewards for including Taiwan as their itinerary’s first port of call. Increased discounts are given to cruise operators promoting Taiwan fly-cruise programs, increasing the Taiwan cruise market’s attractiveness.

Taiwan’s government has begun efforts to have cruise companies increase their stays in Kaohsiung to build their ports into a more southern strategic homeport. A cruise ship that is expected to help is the MSC Bellissima, which at this moment is set to depart for the first time in 2026. This ship is expected to lock in Kaohsiung port’s dominance in the cruise ocean-going ship industry, as it will travel to both Okinawa and Ishigaki.

Conclusion

New developments in the cruise market for Taiwan suggest that 2026 is likely to be a record passenger traffic year. With investments in port developments, new tech, and the focus on international guests, Taiwan is becoming one of the top cruise destinations in East Asia. With new infrastructure paired with ease of access, the cruise industry in Taiwan is sure to self-sustain while bringing travel benefits to the country. Expected developments will boost the cruise industry, which will bring economic boosts to the country, alongside making it more attractive to world travelers.

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