Shiploads of Chinese guests

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Back when international cruise lines were only beginning to show some interest in homeporting a ship in Asia either for a few months or year-round cruising, I remember expressing an opinion in TTG Asia how shortsighted they were to be deploying their older ships. The Asian leisure outbound market was already going places, its travellers quickly grasping a quality product from a musty one. The cruise companies had thought their older ships sent to Asia, as they took delivery of new ones, were good enough for the region.

How quickly they learn. Today no fewer than nine new ships are being built for Asians, in particular mainland Chinese travellers. Godmothers of ships were Western superstars; Chinese actress Fan Bingbing has broken that roster as godmother of Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas (discounting Michelle Kwan, godmother of Oasis of the Seas, who is Chinese-American).

You can imagine China-centric ships as having more family or interconnecting rooms as it is said that Chinese passengers are multigenerational. There will be Chinese and international entertainment, many more restaurants, KTV rooms, retail outlets, and so on.

Will I go onboard? No. One appealing aspect of cruising for me is to meet people of different nationalities; besides, with passengers being Mandarin-speaking, I will feel like fish out of water.

Hotels face the same issue today: Too much of any nationality is not good for business.

There will be Chinese travellers themselves who will not go onboard these tailored-for-Chinese ships for the same reason that they’d rather enjoy an international atmosphere. Fortunately for cruise companies, there are millions of Chinese passengers and it is unlikely their ships will go empty. They will be full, but given the enormous capacity that is heading to China, the question is – at what price?

Currently, with the exception of Genting Hong Kong’s Dream Cruises – Asia’s first luxury cruise line which will debut in November and based in Guangzhou – many of the new China-specific ships look like they are designed for the mass market. While their entry should be welcomed as new products means more marketing, international cruise lines must approach the market with the loftier goal of trying to expand it. After all, the concept of cruising as a wonderful alternative vacation to land holidays is still a nascent one in China.

It is sad if cruise companies just ‘pack them in’ and make hay while the sun shines. With shiploads of Chinese passengers, cruise lines have the rare opportunity to win over a captive audience to cruising with excellent value, quality offerings and service.

Otherwise the real price we will be paying is an unrealised potential of the Chinese cruise market.

And that’s as huge as these ships are.

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