Aerial photo taken on Dec 8, 2020 shows two cruise ships, the Changle Gongzhu (or Princess Changle, front) and the Nanhai Dream at a port in Sanya, south China's Hainan province. A ceremony to resume cruise routes to the Xisha Islands was held Tuesday in Sanya. (GUO CHENG/XINHUA)

SANYA - Cruise trips to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea resumed Wednesday, 11 months after being suspended due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Nanhai Dream with over 280 passengers left Sanya, a resort city in south China's Hainan province, on Wednesday afternoon.

The other cruise ship, the Changle Gongzhu or Princess Changle, is scheduled to resume operations on Thursday with some 220 passengers expected to be on board.

The Xisha tour of each ship will last three nights and four days. Tourists will sail to the Yongle Islands in the Xisha Islands, visiting Yinyu island and Quanfu island

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The Xisha tour of each ship will last three nights and four days. Tourists will sail to the Yongle Islands in the Xisha Islands, visiting Yinyu island and Quanfu island.

The cabin price for the trip ranges from over 4,000 yuan (about US$612) to more than 30,000 yuan.

The Nanhai Dream can accommodate 721 people and the Princess Changle can carry 466 travellers.

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According to epidemic prevention and control requirements, the number of passengers on a cruise liner has been capped at 50 percent capacity. The number can be increased to 70 percent after two weeks of operations if COVID-19 prevention and control measures prove effective.

Cruise tourism to the Xisha Islands started in 2013.