Russian officials to study viability of new cruise route in far east

Officials of the Kamchatka and Primorye regions in Russia as well as local port operator Rosmorport have begun discussions to determine the viability of establishing a new cruise route in the country's Far East.

The discussions formally began on Sunday, August 17, with a meeting between the governors of the two regions, representatives of Rosmorport, local tourism officials, and representatives of federal and regional agencies responsible for the operation and development of cruise tourism infrastructure.

The main topic of the meeting was the preparation of regions for the launch of a new cruise route.

Rosmorport said an ocean liner is planned to connect the far east regional capitals of Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk starting in May 2026. The project will be implemented by Rosmorport and KS-Strateguicheskiy Alliance while the operator will be Russkaya Kruiznaya Kompaniya, which will soon be registered in the Kuril Islands.

Plans call for the route to be served by a modern cruise ship with a maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 1,300 passengers in anticipation of future demand.

The regions to be served will also prepare the necessary infrastructure. One project will be the construction of temporary pontoon berths for disembarking passengers in the Kuril Islands.