The Shanghai World Expo greeted the first group of visitors arriving by sea Wednesday.

The cruise ship "Legend of the Seas" carrying more than 1,600 Japanese visitors arrived Wednesday morning at the Shanghai International Passenger Terminal.

It departed from the Port of Yokohama on Sunday, said Liu Zinan, China regional general manager of the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which owns the "Legend of the Seas."

"We feel very proud helping overseas visitors get a look at the glamorous World Expo in Shanghai," Liu said.

The ship will go back to Japan and return again to Shanghai around May 13 with another 1,000 Japanese, Liu said.

Shanghai Customs estimated that the number of people entering or leaving China via the Port of Shanghai in 2010 would top 200,000, doubling the number in 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2010)