TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – World Dream, a luxury cruise ship operated by Genting Cruise Lines, set sail from the Port of Kaohsiung Monday (July 1) on the first of three voyages that are expected to rake in NT$160 million in tourism revenue this year.

According to the deployment schedule for World Dream, the ship will travel from the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung to Naha and Ishigaki in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture. The three cruises will embark from Taiwan on July 1, July 8, and August 26, carrying more than 4,000 passengers in total, reported UDN.

World Dream will also transport an estimated 3,000 foreign visitors to Taiwan on six-day trips, with an itinerary centered around popular tourist attractions such as Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, and Taipei 101.

Since establishing a presence in Taiwan over two decades ago, Genting Cruise Lines has seen ships of its first cruise line, Star Cruises, dock at ports throughout Taiwan, from Keelung, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, and Hualien to outlying islands like Kinmen, Penghu, and Matsu.

Genting Cruise Lines plans to unlock the full potential of Taiwan's cruise market, which could become the second largest in Asia. The company also reported that it is investing in the construction of new liners with an eye towards building one of the largest modern cruise fleets in the world, UDN reported.

Their new line, Dream Cruises, currently boasts three ships: Genting Dream, World Dream, and Explorer Dream. These will provide up to ten cruise voyages to and from Taiwan between March and October of next year. The expanded service will bring over 40,000 visitors annually, according to the report.