Chinese cruise market gathering pace as more seek fun on seas

The Superstar Virgo cruise liner calls at the Sanya Phoenix Island Inter national Wharf in Sanya, Hainan province. [Wu Haoning/For China Daily]

Genting Hong Kong has been the pioneer of the Asian cruise industry for long, but it really came into limelight when it created Dream Cruises and acquired Crystal Cruises in 2015, thus becoming a global leisure, entertainment and hospitality company.

"The Asian cruise market, especially in China, is rapidly growing. We are willing to meet the needs of the emerging generation of confident, independent-minded and affluent Asian travelers. through our new brand," said Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises.

According to the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association, the country's 10 major ports handled 629 cruise ships in 2015, a year-on-year increase of 35 percent, with about 1.24 million Chinese passengers traveling overseas.

"Dream Cruises will specially cater to the large and rapidly growing premium market in China and Asia," said Brown.

The potential for growth in the huge Chinese cruise market has already attracted an increasing number of luxury foreign operators, including British- and American-owned Italian cruise line Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.