Princess Cruises has confirmed that Penang will continue to be included in its Southeast Asian itineraries for at least the next two seasons.

For the 2017-18, Diamond Princess cruise ship will make eight visits to the Malaysian island, followed by another eight visits made by the Sapphire Princess. These two ships are expected to bring more than 40,000 passengers to Penang over the next two seasons, and local passengers will continue to have the option of boarding in Penang.

The announcement was timed to coincide with Diamond Princess’ visit to Penang on Monday (13 March 2017). The vessel brought more than 2,600 guests and 1,100 crew to the island as part of its five-day voyage from Singapore, which also included calls at Kuala Lumpur and Phuket.

“Over the years, Penang has become one of our guests’ favourite ports of calls, with over 80% of guests disembarking the ship when they visit Penang to enjoy the wonderful local food, great shopping and charming sight-seeing attractions. This in turn helps to contribute to Penang’s economy and the booming local tourism industry,” said Farriek Tawfik, Princess Cruises’ director for Southeast Asia.

During its current Southeast Asian season, Diamond Princess will call at 13 ports in six countries, offering 16 departures with 25 itineraries ranging from three to 12 days.

Diamond Princess underwent a US$30 million dry dock refurbishment in Singapore in 2014 where it was fitted with a series of Asian amenities, including a large Japanese onsen, a sushi restaurant and upgraded duty-free shopping areas.