A ship carrying 1,600 Chinese mainland tourists arrived at Keelung harbor in Taiwan Monday morning, marking the first direct cruise from the mainland to the island.

　　"Legend of the Seas", a passenger liner of Royal Caribbean International, traveled about 40 hours after it set off from Shanghai Saturday. It arrived in Taiwan at 8:30 a.m., where passengers received a welcoming ceremony complete with traditional Chinese dragon and lion dances.

　　Keelung Mayor Chang Tong-rong said, "We welcome you far away friends in this warm spring when flowers are blossoming. We wish you a pleasant and smooth journey in Taiwan."

　　According to Yan Zhirong, a senior official with the Amway Greater China, most of the tourists aboard the ship are company clerks visiting Taiwan for the first time.

　　Yan said Amway plans to carry nine groups of 12,000 workers to the island for tours organized by China Travel International Ltd. Every tour will last six days and seven nights, with stopovers at main port cities including Keelung, Hualian, and Taizhong.

　　According to the mainland-based Cross-straits Tourism Exchange Association, more than 100,000 trips have been made by Chinese mainland visitors to Taiwan from July 2008 to March 12 of this year.

　　The mainland and Taiwan started direct flights and shipping services on Dec. 15, 2008, ending a 59-year ban on such links.

　　16日上午8时30分许，由港中旅集团组织的“安利心印宝岛万人行”首发团1600人，乘坐“海洋神话号”豪华邮轮抵达台湾基隆港，这是自去年７月大陆居民赴台旅游实施以来规模最大、人数最多的旅游团，也是两岸“三通”基本实现以来第一个邮轮直航团。

　　基隆港派出前导船喷洒三支水柱，以最高规格礼仪欢迎远道而来的嘉宾。在码头上举行的盛大欢迎仪式上，祥龙瑞狮和极富台湾民间特色的“八家将”齐舞，鼓乐齐鸣，岸上的欢迎民众和船上的游客相互招手欢呼，“欢迎你”呼声此起彼伏。

　　基隆市市长张通荣以及台湾的旅游、交通等部门的官员参加了欢迎仪式。

　　“海洋神话号”是１４日由上海出发经过近４０小时的航行抵达基隆的。

　　据介绍，安利此次１．２万人包乘豪华邮轮赴台旅游，将分９个批次，每航次历时６天７夜，分别停靠基隆、花莲、台中等港口，游览台北故宫、基隆夜市、太鲁阁、日月潭等著名景点，并将品尝台湾美食，感受台湾风情。

　　安利公司大中华区行政总裁颜志荣表示，来台访问的是公司的精英职工，大家几乎都是第一次来台湾旅游，对于能够亲自体验憧憬已久的宝岛美景、美食以及风土人情，都倍感幸福。

　　张通荣对大陆游客的到来表示欢迎。他说，在这春暖花开的季节，有朋自远方来，也带来了两岸美好的愿景，希望大陆朋友台湾之行喜悦、顺遂、愉快。

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