AKP Phnom Penh, February 04, 2026 --

The Italian-flagged cruise liner Costa Serena docked at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on Wednesday, bringing nearly 3,000 international passengers to Cambodia’s premier coastal destination in a boost to the Kingdom's early 2026 tourism figures.

The vessel, measuring 290 metres in length and 35 metres in width, arrived from Vietnam at 7:00 a.m. local time. According to immigration officials, the ship carried 2,890 passengers of 59 different nationalities, supported by a crew of over 1,000.

Most of the passengers are European, including 794 Italians; 251 Germans; and 247 French.

While the majority of visitors explored the local coastal attractions, the visit also facilitated regional transit; two passengers departed for Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Archaeological Park, while 31 passengers travelling from Siem Reap joined the vessel in Sihanoukville for its onward journey.

During their day-long stopover, tourists visited several cultural and economic landmarks.

The arrival of the Costa Serena marks the seventh major cruise ship to dock at Sihanoukville since the start of the year. Other notable vessels including the Westerdam and Norwegian Sun have contributed to a total of 8,763 maritime arrivals in just the first five weeks of 2026.

The Costa Serena is scheduled to depart Sihanoukville at 4:00 p.m. today, bound for Thailand.

By K. Rithy Reak