中國啟動進軍郵輪業的計劃：「沒有回頭路」 (1/2)

Recently Business Insider reported the following:

China kicks off its plan to take on the cruise industry: 'There's no turning back' (1/2)

Hannah Towey,Brittany Chang - Business Insider

Sat, September 30, 2023 at 2:55 a.m. PDT

Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, once the world's largest cruise ship, was originally scheduled for year-round sailing from China.

Then COVID-19 shut down the cruise industry and China blocked sailings from international cruise lines.

Instead of launching its highly-anticipated Shanghai debut, Wonder of the Seas moved its home port across the world to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Royal Caribbean canceled plans for a hot pot restaurant on the ship, and instead installed a Southern-themed dining room serving fried chicken and jalapeño cornbread.

Now, after a three-year hiatus, international cruise lines can resume sailings from China. But this time, they'll have a new competitor.

While most Western cruise companies distanced themselves from the Asian market as they canceled sailings and took on massive debt, China moved forward on a 10-year plan to break into the multi-billion dollar industry with its own cruise line.

Enter the Adora Magic City, the first Chinese-built and operated cruise ship. The 5,200-passenger ship concluded its second sea trials in September and is scheduled to launch commercial service later this year.

The ship, which took four years to build, is part of a broader plan to boost Chinese tourism and manufacturing through the construction and operation of cruise ships.

China's entrance into the industry changes the landscape for foreign cruise lines. It's no longer a "free playground for the established international cruise operators," Kun Cao, a senior manager at the Finnish consulting firm Reddal, told Insider.

"The cruising industry is reviving in China, but this time, it starts with a different setup," he said. "The Chinese want a share of the cake."

The Luochuan Yangko dance troupe from Yan'an city, Shaanxi province, China aboard Princess Cruises' newest ship "Majestic Princess" sailing out of the Port of Civitavecchia on May 21, 2017 in Rome, Italy. Beginning a 49 day trip from Rome to Shanghai, China, the 143,000 tonne ship carrying 3560 guests will be the largest Princess ship ever to be deployed in Chinese waters.

China's cruise tourists are also big spenders on board, Royal Caribbean International's CEO said.James D. Morgan

China has a massive market of potential cruise customers

The size of the Chinese market "is just so significant that nobody can really ignore it," Cao said, adding that with Caribbean and European routes sufficiently tapped, Asia routes hold the most potential for growth.

With sailings resuming from Chinese ports, Joel Katz — Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) managing director in Australasia and Asia — said he expects China to "reclaim its position as a dominant cruise market very swiftly."

In 2019 (before the COVID-19 shutdowns), 2.4 million people in China went on a cruise, according to data from CLIA. That's the second largest share behind United States, which contributed 11.9 million passengers that year.

China's cruise tourists are also big spenders on board the ships, Michael Bayley, CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said on a May earnings call.

"The value of a Chinese customer is very high," Bayley told investors. "When you look at the net revenue from a Chinese consumer, it's typically around the same level as an American and slightly higher."

All the cruise giants agree: China is a jackpot worth fighting for. But they are all taking different approaches to win.

(to be continued)

Translation

皇家加勒比的海洋奇觀號 (Wonder of the Seas)曾經是世界上最大的遊輪，原定全年從中國出發。

隨後，新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 導致郵輪業關閉，中國也阻止了國際郵輪公司的航班。

海洋奇觀號沒有在備受期待的上海首次亮相，而是將其母港移至地球另一邊的的佛羅裡達州Fort Lauderdale。 皇家加勒比取消了船上火鍋餐廳的計劃，轉而設立了一個南方主題餐廳，供應炸雞和墨西哥辣椒玉米麵包。

現在，中斷三年後，國際郵輪公司可以恢復從中國出發的航行。 但這一次，他們將迎來新的競爭對手。

正當大多數西方郵輪公司因亞洲市場取消航班並承擔巨額債務而與它保持距離，中國卻在推進一項十年計劃，以自己的郵輪航線打入價值數十億美元的行業。

走進行業的阿多拉魔幻城號 (Adora Magic City)，是第一艘中國建造和營運的遊輪。 這艘可載 5,200 名乘客的遊輪於 9 月結束了第二次海上試驗，並計劃於今年稍後投入商業服務。

該船耗時四年建造，是透過遊輪的建造和運營去促進中國旅遊業和製造業發展的更廣泛計劃的一部分。

中國進入該行業改變了外國郵輪公司的格局。 芬蘭顧問公司 Reddal 的高級經理 Kun Cao 告訴 Insider，外國郵輪不再是「現有的國際郵輪營運商的自由樂園」。

他說: "郵輪業正在中國復甦，但這一次，它以不同的格局開始”; “中國人想分享這塊蛋糕” 。

2017年5月21日，來自中國陝西省延安市的洛川秧歌團乘坐公主郵輪最新郵輪「Majestic Princess」從義大利羅馬 Civitavecchia 港駛出。 這艘載有 3,560 名客人的 143,000 噸的郵輪開始了從羅馬到中國上海的 49 天旅程，在歷史上將成為在中國水域部署的最大的公主郵輪。

皇家加勒比國際郵輪公司首席執行官 James D. Morgan 表示，中國的郵輪遊客在船上的消費也很高。

中國擁有龐大的潛在郵輪客戶市場

Cao說，中國市場的規模「非常大，任何人都無法忽視」。他補充說，隨著加勒比海和歐洲航線的充分開發，亞洲航線擁有最大的成長潛力。

國際郵輪協會（CLIA）澳大拉西亞和亞洲董事總經理 Joel Katz 表示，隨著中國港口恢復航行，他預計中國將「迅速恢復其作為郵輪市場主導的地位」。

根據 CLIA 的數據，2019 年（在 COVID-19 關閉之前），中國有 240 萬人乘坐遊輪。 這是僅次於美國的第二大份額，美國當年貢獻了 1,190 萬名乘客。

皇家加勒比國際遊輪公司執行長 Michael Bayley 在 5 月的財報電話會議上表示，中國的遊輪遊客也是船上的高消費者。

Bayley告訴投資者: 「中國客戶的價值非常高」。 “當你觀察由中國消費者賺到的淨收入時，你會發現它通常與美國人處於同一水平，甚至略高一些。”

所有郵輪巨頭都同意：中國是一個值得爭奪的大獎。 但他們都採取了不同的方法來獲獎。

（待續）

Note:

Australasia (澳大拉西亞) is the continent and islands to the east of the Indian Ocean, the west of the Pacific Ocean, and the south of Asia.