As summer begins, the Suzhou Creek cruise boats enter their peak tourist season. In line with the 2025 “Shanghai Summer” International Consumption Season and the Shanghai Tourism Festival’s summer travel season, the cruise operators have launched several new themed routes and promotional activities to provide more options for residents.
On July 18, as one of the six major events of the Shanghai Tourism Festival, the fifth Putuo District “Half-Marathon Suhe” Cultural Tourism Festival’s “Waterfront Fun Week” will kick off. As part of this, in alignment with the development of the Shanghai-Nanjing Innovation Belt, the Putuo District Culture and Tourism Bureau will collaborate with cities along the belt—Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Zhenjiang, and Taizhou—to create seven themed cruise boats, which will embark on refreshed tours along Suzhou Creek.
The “Cool Breeze Pet Cruise” and performance-themed cruises will also make a “limited-time” return this summer. The dining-themed cruises will continue to feature Italian and Japanese lunch and dinner options. A new late-night route will set sail in mid-July, with two additional meal packages available on the “Single Serving” late-night cruise.
As a distinctive tourism product along Shanghai’s “One River, One Creek,” Suzhou Creek cruises have been continuously upgrading their offerings this year. Themed cruises such as the “Blind Box Cruise” and scheduled liner services have been introduced one after another. The “Thousand Trees Cherry Blossom Special Cruise,” launched during the spring season at Changhua Road Pier, became a hit in the city’s “flower economy+” trend and helped Tian’an Thousand Trees set a new single-week passenger record this year.
In the first half of the year, Suzhou Creek cruises saw multiple improvements in key metrics: On March 22, passenger numbers hit a single-day record since operations began. Over the first six months, a total of 55,000 passengers were served, a 25% year-on-year increase, with 40% of them boarding in Putuo. In March alone, the cruises welcomed nearly 11,000 passengers, setting a new monthly record.
The biggest highlight of Suzhou Creek cruises in the first half of the year was the variety of dining-themed cruises, which saw higher occupancy rates on weekends and holidays compared to traditional cruises. The diversity of onboard dining options drove overall passenger growth, while the frequent themed cruises provided a steady stream of customers for nearby restaurants, creating a positive cycle of “culture, tourism, and commerce.”
This summer, Suzhou Creek cruises are also offering exclusive benefits for students and seniors. Before August 31, in addition to the various themed cruises, all full-time students aged 14–24 and elderly passengers aged 60 and above can enjoy a 40% discount on all Suzhou Creek cruise tickets
