China’s first-ever Cruise Beer Festival officially opened on the 20th aboard the “Dream” cruise ship. As a featured attraction of the Old Town Venue (Dabaodao) of the 36th Qingdao International Beer Festival, the event breaks away from the traditional land-based setting of beer festivals and creates an immersive onboard leisure space through a cruise experience. It offers visitors a unique maritime getaway combining accommodation, dining, entertainment and leisure activities. On the opening day alone, nearly 1,000 visitors boarded the “Dream” cruise to enjoy a relaxed onboard beer experience.
The “Dream” cruise ship is a luxury vessel operated by Astro Ocean Cruise, with a gross tonnage of 77,500 tons. It features 1,008 guest rooms across various categories, including interior cabins, ocean-view cabins, balcony cabins and suites. The ship is equipped with four themed restaurants, five ocean-view specialty bars, a grand theater, an outdoor swimming pool, an onboard library, a youth activity center and a full range of leisure facilities.
For this year’s Cruise Beer Festival, the ship has introduced two innovative non-sailing tourism products: an overnight cruise accommodation experience and a half-day cruise visit experience. Visitors do not need to travel offshore or complete passport and complicated immigration procedures. They can simply verify their identity and board the ship with a valid ID card, experiencing the unique charm of a premium cruise vacation in an easy and convenient way.
During the festival, the ship’s dedicated international performance team will present a variety of cultural shows featuring different styles and international influences. Combining the atmosphere of the beer festival, cruise leisure scenes and Qingdao’s local urban culture, the event will also feature themed performances, interactive games, specialty parties and fun experiences such as a bridge simulator, ensuring visitors enjoy a memorable journey.
In addition, affordability has become one of the key factors attracting visitors. The onboard accommodation experience costs just over 300 yuan per person, while guests can enjoy complimentary meals, theater performances, outdoor swimming pools, deck leisure areas and other comprehensive facilities. Thanks to its strong value-for-money appeal, around 80 percent of visitors chose to stay overnight on the opening day, with many opting for extended stays.
To ensure the safe, orderly and efficient operation of this innovative cultural tourism project, Qingdao Immigration Inspection Station has taken proactive measures by planning ahead and deploying targeted services. Through efficient and convenient border inspection support, the station is helping promote innovation and upgrading in Qingdao’s cruise tourism industry.
The Cruise Beer Festival will run until July 29. The “static cruise tour” tickets have been included in Qingdao’s ticket-stub economy alliance. With a cruise ticket, visitors can not only enjoy an onboard celebration but also receive linked discounts at urban attractions and commercial districts, creating a “one ticket, multiple experiences” tourism model.
Editor: Yu Ruixin/ Wang Yulin
