Christmas is nigh, and my mind rewinds to a weeklong cruise I took around this time six years ago.
Back then, I was studying in the United States, and students traveled during their vacations. The $1,000 (876 euros; ￡786) trip started in Miami, Florida, and covered the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Mexico.
The fare included buffets, various restaurants and bars, entertainment shows, swimming and onboard hot spring pools. However, it didn’t cover activities ashore, such as scuba diving, canoeing and sightseeing.
Since I had a valid US visa, the cruise line didn’t require me to obtain any additional visas to visit the destinations. Boarding, lodging and transportation were all taken care of. It was fun, convenient, easy and memorable.
But for a couple of Chinese students, I barely noticed any compatriots on the ship. At the time, taking a cruise wasn’t as popular an option among Chinese as it is now.
But the cruise market in China is steadily maturing, as more global cruise operators offer different routes in China and around Asia.
In a short period, China has become the world’s second-largest cruise market, in terms of number of tourists, according to the Ministry of Transport.
High-cost trips to far-off places like freezing Antarctica have become hotter. Chinese travelers are seeking more diverse experiences and pursuing personalized and quality trips, driven by rising incomes and evolving tastes.
Currently, Ctrip, China’s largest online travel agency, offers more than 20 cruise options to Antarctica. Typically, a cruise ship can take about 3,500 people. Growing demand among Chinese travelers has resulted in a 30 percent spike in the number of voyages offered now, compared with the same period last year.
From November this year to March next year – a busier and warmer season for travel to Antarctica – the number of bookings on Ctrip by Chinese is expected to surge more than 100 percent year-on-year. Only a few spots reportedly remain to be filled for the upcoming seven-day Spring Festival break.
The package to Antarctica and some South American countries cost between 50,000 yuan ($7,267; 6,363 euros; ￡5,712) and 200,000 yuan. The average outlay for a cruise is around 110,000 yuan.
My parents and friends are used to taking flights and staying at hotels when they travel. They haven’t gone on a cruise yet, though it’s on their to-do list. That, to me, is more proof of the immense growth potential of the cruise market in China.
(China Daily European Weekly 12/14/2018 page28)