The Chinese cruise ship, Nanhai Dream, arrived at the Xisha Islands on Thursday morning after sailing for about 13 hours, with more than 280 domestic tourists beginning their highly anticipated tour of the islands.

The vessel left Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise Port of Hainan province for the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the tourists were those who expressed a desire to see breathtaking views of the sea and learn more about the area's role in the history of the Maritime Silk Road, which dates back centuries.

On Thursday afternoon, the Changle Gongzhu, or Princess Changle, also departed from Sanya's port, sailing toward the same destination with more than 220 tourists, according to the local transportation authorities.

The two ships marked the resumption of trips to the Xisha Islands following a suspension of more than 300 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During their Xisha tours, which are scheduled to last four days and three nights, tourists are expected to set foot on two small islands－Yinyu Island, which is 2 meters above sea level, and Quanfu Island, at 1 meter above sea level. The islands are known for their surrounding waters－a beautiful "seven-color ocean" caused by sand and coral reefs and other rich marine life, including horse mackerel, grouper and redfish.

To keep passengers safe from COVID-19, the vessels are limited to carrying no more than 50 percent of their capacity in the early stage of resuming operations, according to Guo Mingfei, general manager of the Sansha Nanhai Dream Cruises marketing department.

"The passenger load rate can be raised to 70 percent after two weeks of operation if it runs smoothly," said Guo, adding that her company will ensure that the anti-pandemic measures, including three body temperature checks a day, are strictly enforced.

"We immediately called and booked tickets for the Nanhai Dream with a local travel agency last month after learning that the cruise routes will resume," said Wang Renjie, a retired office worker from Shanghai, who said he has been impressed by photos of the islands' natural beauty.

"We took nucleic acid tests in Haikou and showed the invoice and the test results when boarding the cruise. The tests took some time and added a little bit to our costs. But that makes us feel safe and at ease. We appreciate the measure," Wang said. He is traveling with three friends.

He added that he was also impressed by the strict COVID-19 control and prevention measures during a recent trip to Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province.

"I feel the control and prevention measures in place everywhere, so people can be confident in traveling around the country."

Rising demand

Cruise tours to the Xisha Islands were rolled out in April 2013, with infrastructure, service capacity and quality improving every year and the total number of tourists nearing 100,000. Demand for cruise travel remains strong, according to those in the industry.

"All cruise tickets for the routes to the Xisha Islands in December have been booked, while about 80 percent of the tickets for January have been reserved," said Lu Hongyi, assistant to the general manager of CTG Travel (Hainan). "The need was greater than we had expected," he said.

According to plans by the central authorities, Hainan will increasingly expand tourism in the islands and develop cross-border cruise tours as part of developing the province into an influential international tourism and consumer destination by 2035.