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Kaohsiung Music Center lit at night over Love River Bay, 1.6 km from the cruise terminal

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Where does Sapphire Princess dock in Kaohsiung (Taiwan)?

In port Fri, 18 Dec 2026, 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port). 3 calls listed in all, below.

Photo: Tiouraren (Y.-C. Tsai) / CC BY-SA 4.0

Kaohsiung (Taiwan) in one glance

Pier-2 Art Center, Kaohsiung

Pier-2 Art Center

Harbour warehouses on the third basin turned into an art district, with the old harbour railway as a cycle trail.about 2h · Light rail C9 → C12 Dayi Pier-2, NT$20Kaohsiung Music Center, Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung Music Center

about 1h · On foot about 25 min, our estimate; or light rail to Love PierThe Dome of Light, Kaohsiung

The Dome of Light

A glass dome by the Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata over the concourse of Formosa Boulevard station, where the Red and Orange lines cross.about 1.5h · Walk about 20 min to Sanduo, MRT 2 stops; or taxi about 6 min, ~NT$140, our estimate
Cut to the 18 Dec call

What fits your 10 hours

Off the ship and back

The berth, the way into town and back in Kaohsiung (Taiwan)

On your own

More of Kaohsiung (Taiwan) within 10 hours

Each one is a round trip from the gangway that fits the usable hours of this call.

All ten, ranked
The British Consulate at Takao, Kaohsiung

The British Consulate at Takao

The red-brick consular residence and office on the headland above the harbour mouth.about 2h · Taxi about 15 min, ~NT$190, our estimate; or 7 min uphill from the Gushan ferry pier · needs a 4-hour callLiuhe Night Market, Kaohsiung

Liuhe Night Market

Kaohsiung’s best-known night market, 3.6 km from the ship.about 2h · Taxi about 7 min, ~NT$145, our estimate; a few minutes on foot from Formosa Boulevard · needs a 4-hour callThe waterfront by light rail, Kaohsiung

The waterfront by light rail

about 4h · Light rail from the terminal door, NT$20 a ride · needs a 6-hour call
Days that fit Sapphire Princess’s call

10 hours ashore: the days that fit

Cut to the 18 Dec call. The half hour to get off and the hour before all-aboard are already kept free.

Rainy-day plan

Swipe sideways for the other days →

Kaohsiung Music Center, KaohsiungThe waterfront by light rail, KaohsiungPier-2 Art Center, Kaohsiung

Needs a 5-hour callabout 3h

The Music Center and Pier-2 by light rail

Calls of 5 hours or more, the afternoon Norwegian Jade call (11:00–18:00) among them. No taxi needed

  1. 0:00Walk to the Kaohsiung Music Center on Love River Bay (1.6 km, about 25 min, our estimate)
  2. 0:25The Music Center terraces and the Whale Bridge lookout
  3. 1:00Light rail Love Pier (C11) → Dayi Pier-2 (C12)
  4. 1:10Pier-2 Art Center: the warehouses, the rail trail and the outdoor art
  5. + 2 more stops on the full route

Two or three light-rail rides, NT$20 each; coins only at the machines

Open in Google Maps, in 2 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Kaohsiung Music Center → Pier-2 Art Centeron foot
  2. 2Pier-2 Art Center → Back to the shipon foot
Follow this route
The ferry to Cijin, KaohsiungKaohsiung Lighthouse on Qihou hill, KaohsiungCijin by light rail and ferry, Kaohsiung

Needs a 7-hour callabout 5h

Cijin by light rail and ferry

Calls of 7 hours or more. The lighthouse opens at 10:00

  1. 0:00Light rail Cruise Terminal (C9) → Hamasen (C14)
  2. 0:20Walk to the Gushan Ferry Pier (747 m, about 10 min, our estimate)
  3. 0:35Ferry to Cijin, about 5 min
  4. 0:45Cijin Tianhou Temple, Kaohsiung’s oldest
  5. + 4 more stops on the full route

Light rail NT$20 each way, ferry NT$30 each way, exact cash or a stored-value card

Open in Google Maps, in 3 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Gushan ferry landing, boats to Cijintrain or bus
  2. 2Gushan ferry landing, boats to Cijin → Kaohsiung Lighthouse, Qihou hillon foot
  3. 3Kaohsiung Lighthouse, Qihou hill → Back to the shiptrain or bus
Follow this route
Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung

Needs a 9-hour callabout 7h

Lotus Pond, then Cijin by ferry

Calls of 9 hours or more: Westerdam (07:00–16:00), Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess (07:00–19:00). Times assume 07:30 off the ship

  1. 0:00Taxi to Lotus Pond (9.2 km, about 20 min, our estimate)
  2. 0:30Dragon and Tiger Pagodas: in by the dragon, out by the tiger, then the zigzag bridge
  3. 1:45Taxi to the Gushan Ferry Pier (9.1 km, about 20 min, our estimate)
  4. 2:15Ferry to Cijin, NT$30
  5. + 4 more stops on the full route

Costs about NT$650 in all: taxi to Lotus Pond about NT$285 and on to the Gushan pier about NT$285, our estimates; ferry NT$30 each way; light rail NT$20 back

Open in Google Maps, in 4 parts

  1. 1Your ship → Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, Lotus Pondtrain or bus
  2. 2Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, Lotus Pond → Gushan ferry landing, boats to Cijintrain or bus
  3. 3Gushan ferry landing, boats to Cijin → Kaohsiung Lighthouse, Qihou hillon foot
  4. 4Kaohsiung Lighthouse, Qihou hill → Back to the shiptrain or bus
Follow this route
Your 18 Dec call on one page

Sapphire Princess in Kaohsiung (Taiwan): the day sheet

Fri, 18 Dec 2026, 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port). Off the ship from 07:30, back at the gangway by 17:30. Print it or save it before you lose the ship's Wi-Fi.

At the pier, before you set off

The terminalKaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, 5 Haibian Road, Lingya District: 22 immigration counters, automatic exchange machines, tax-refund machines, AI translation devices, free Wi-Fi and charging, and a 24-hour promenade on the 3rd floor (city tourism bureau).
Cash and ATMsNew Taiwan dollars. The exchange machines at Taiwan's cruise terminals take US dollars, yen and yuan only. The light-rail ticket machines take coins only and the ferry counter gives no change. The MRT gates take a tapped Visa, Mastercard, JCB or UnionPay card.
Wi-Fi and dataFree Wi-Fi in the terminal (city tourism bureau).
Steps and slopesThe terminal has lifts. The light rail is street-level and step-free to board. The British Consulate and the lighthouse are uphill with steps.
Weather ashore · a usual December day in Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
25° / 18°C78° / 64°F

Average high and low for December — the rain-day plan if the day turns wet

The forecast for Fri 18 Dec appears here from Sat 12 Dec.

Normals 1991–2020: Central Weather Administration (Taiwan), Kaohsiung station · The official figures →

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Every Sapphire Princess call at Kaohsiung (Taiwan)

3 calls listed, Dec 2026–Sep 2027. The pattern, and the plan for each kind of day

Every upcoming call keeps the same hours, 07:00–19:00: plan one day and repeat it.

Fri 18 Dec202607:00–19:00~10 h—Full day
Fri 29 Jan202707:00–19:00~10 hWharf 20, Kaohsiung Port Cruise TerminalFull day
Mon 20 Sep202707:00–19:00~10 hWharf 20, Kaohsiung Port Cruise TerminalFull day

Add all 3 calls to your calendar

Usable hours follow the one rule: off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that. Overnight calls count the longest stretch ashore between 08:00 and 21:00 (the night is not touring time). Dates and times from Taiwan International Ports Corporation — cruise schedule search, Kaohsiung Port (高雄港) (as of 2026-11-13) and the cruise line’s published itinerary; the daily programme has the final word.

The full day · 3 calls

Fri 18 Dec, Fri 29 Jan 2027, Mon 20 Sep 2027

07:00–19:00 · about 10 usable hours · gangway by 17:30

About 10 usable hours, back at the gangway by 17:30: the port's full timed day fits, and so does a guided day that returns in time.

No guided day on this site fits these calls and is open on them; the timed plans below are the day.

Quick answers

Sapphire Princess at Kaohsiung (Taiwan)

Where does Sapphire Princess dock in Kaohsiung (Taiwan)?

The port has not published Sapphire Princess's berth in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) for 18 Dec; ships here normally use Wharf 20, Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, 5 Haibian Rd, Lingya District: every 2026–27 call on the port operator’s list (AIDAstella 17 Apr 2027 at Wharf 21 next door). Exchange machines (USD, JPY, RMB), free Wi-Fi and tax-refund machines inside. The second terminal, Penglai at Pier 9, has no listed call. Berths can be reassigned on busy days; the daily programme has the final word.

How long is Sapphire Princess in Kaohsiung (Taiwan)?

Fri, 18 Dec 2026: 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port); Fri, 29 Jan 2027: 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port); Mon, 20 Sept 2027: 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port). Off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that: plan for about 10 usable hours on the call of Fri, 18 Dec 2026, back at the gangway by 17:30.

What can you do in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) with 10 hours from Sapphire Princess?

3 of the port's timed days fit the call of Fri, 18 Dec 2026: The Music Center and Pier-2 by light rail (about 3h), Cijin by light rail and ferry (about 5h), Lotus Pond, then Cijin by ferry (about 7h).

What is the weather like in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) in December?

On a usual December day Kaohsiung (Taiwan) reaches about 25 °C (78 °F), with a low of about 18 °C (64 °F). These are the Central Weather Administration (Taiwan)'s 1991–2020 normals for Kaohsiung. From 7 days before the call, this page shows the forecast for the day itself.

Checked · Researched, not yet visited · Takumi Yamada

Dates, times and berths from Taiwan International Ports Corporation — cruise schedule search, Kaohsiung Port (高雄港) (as of 2026-11-13) and the cruise line’s published itinerary. Schedules change; your ship's daily programme has the final word.