Carnival launches dedicated Chinese cruise brand
The creation of the first multi-ship Chinese domestic cruise brand will help Carnival Corporation tap into what is expected to eventually become the largest cruise market in the world.
The new venture represents a partnership between the US-based cruise giant, China State Shipbuilding Corporation and China Investment Corporation which was formalised at a signing ceremony held on Wednesday at the Mansion House in London. The event was attended not only by executives from the parties involved, but also by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping underlining the significance of the project.
“This cruising joint venture is a significant step forward for the cruise industry in China and a tremendous opportunity for us to work together with CSSC and CIC to grow awareness, interest and demand for cruise vacations amongst domestic Chinese travelers,” Carnival Corporation global chief operating officer Alan Buckelew said.
“Cruising is a relatively new vacation experience in China, and we believe this collaborative approach with our partners is critical to not only developing the country’s domestic cruise business, but also supporting China’s goal to become one of the world’s leading cruise markets in coming years.”
Although specific fleet details have yet to be revealed, the project could include the acquisition of new and existing cruise ships to homeport in China.
The announcement builds on Carnival’s growing commitment to the Chinese market which include its July decision to expand the Chinese operations of Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises with both to add a ship to their Chinese fleets in 2016, taking Carnival’s total Chinese fleet to six ships – a 58% capacity increase for the year.
Furthermore, in 2017 it will launch another two of its other cruise brands in China – Carnival Cruise Lines and AIDA Cruises.
2017 will also see the launch of Princess Cruises’ brand new vessel Majestic Princess which will be based in Shanghai and will be the first cruise ship built specifically for Chinese guests.
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