RCI-Royal Caribbean China announced its return of international cruises to the country was in prospect following the announcement from China's MOT (Ministry of Transport) on Thursday, March 30th, of a resumption of cruise programs.
They hoped to advance the resumption of international cruise homeporting from China.
In a statement, the cruise ship operator said they had been waiting for the return of their ships to China for 3+ years and would be "actively participating in MOT's resumption of cruise programs with a view to return to service with sailings to neighboring countries."
"We remain confident about the long-term prospect of the Chinese cruise industry."
The statement adds, China was a major source/destination market for international cruises with demonstrable potential. The spectacular growth of the Chinese cruise market in the ten years before COVID showed that cruising was extremely popular with Chinese consumers as a new vacation style.
During the COVID crisis, RCI's liner Spectrum OTS was the only international cruiser deployed/operated in Asia.
However, the recovery of the cruise industry in China faces many challenges. The experience of the market in Europe and the USA shows that restarting requires a longer time than expected in terms of operational recovery, marketing preparation, and deployment.