Port Klang Eyes 140 Vessel Calls as Lines Shift to Southeast Asia
In the first quarter, the terminal handled forty-two cruise ships and sixty-four thousand three hundred ninety-six passengers. It can accommodate two large cruise ships at once.
Port Klang Cruise Terminal expects 130 to 140 international cruise and naval vessel calls this year, up from 110 vessels last year, as cruise lines redirect capacity toward Southeast Asia amid uncertainty in West Asia. Alvin Geoffrey Alphonso, PKCT’s chief executive officer, said several international operators have canceled West Asia sailings and moved itineraries into the region, particularly for the winter season.
The forecast puts the Malaysian terminal on course for a roughly 18% to 27% increase in vessel calls from last year. In the first quarter, PKCT handled 42 cruise ships and 64,396 passengers.
“We do not see the West Asia crisis as a threat, but as an opportunity to bring in more tourists who will spend within the state and the country,” Alphonso told media after a Viking Yidun familiarization program at PKCT.
Alphonso said winter deployment decisions are influenced by passenger-comfort considerations in the United States and Europe, which makes Southeast Asia a more attractive seasonal option for operators. He said PKCT is working with Tourism Selangor and Tourism Malaysia on service levels for cruise lines and passengers.
Fuel costs and terminal capacity
Rising bunker costs could still affect passenger pricing. Alphonso said operators may impose fuel surcharges, although most companies had hedged bunker fuel before the conflict, reducing the immediate hit to operating costs and helping keep cruise ticket prices relatively stable.
PKCT has capacity to handle up to 12,000 passengers at one time and two large cruise ships simultaneously. The terminal has three berths for passenger and naval vessels and, since operations began in 1995, has handled more than 5 million passengers and more than 5,500 cruise ships.
Adora adds late-2026 Port Klang voyages
Port Klang is also part of Adora Cruises’ late-2026 international deployment. Adora Mediterranea is scheduled to operate eight voyages from the Malaysian port, including two- and three-night cruises to Penang, Langkawi and Phuket and five-night sailings visiting Nha Trang.
Adora Cruises said Adora Magic City and Adora Flora City would also call at Malaysian destinations, including Kota Kinabalu and Port Klang, in the second half of 2026. The deployment was announced around Malaysia Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing’s visit to Adora Cruises’ headquarters, where the two sides discussed cooperation in cruise tourism and regional cultural tourism.
Adora said it would work with Malaysian partners on Southeast Asian route development, port resource integration and shore excursion products. The first of the announced Adora Mediterranea departures from Port Klang is scheduled for Nov. 24, 2026.
