Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

The cruise liner Costa Allegra will set sail from Shanghai on July 2, the first time for the city to be the homeport for an international liner.
The Italy-based Costa Crociere S.p.A., one of the world's leading cruise companies and owner of the Costa Allegra, commences its July to October summer program of 24 five-day tours from Shanghai to Nagasaki in Japan and South Korea's Jeju Island.
It is a landmark for Shanghai, as the city was previously just a temporary port rather than a homeport to international cruise liners, said an industry analyst, adding that the economic returns accruing to a homeport are usually 10-14 times that of a temporary berth.