Market Growth to Bring More Carnival Ships to China

Eying a rapidly growing cruise market, Carnival Corporation announces plans to sail more ships from China

The Chinese cruise market, expected to become the world’s largest based on surging demand for cruise vacations by Chinese travelers, will see the arrival of two additional cruise brands in 2017 as Carnival Corporation & plc further expand its operations in the nation.

 

Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises will join Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises in the Chinese market, making Carnival Corporation the first company to operate four brands in China, the company said today in announcing its plans for further development in China.

 

The company’s plan includes the 2017 deployment of two additional ships – one each for the Carnival and AIDA brands – as part of a long-term, multi-brand strategy to meet growing demand across all segments of the Chinese market.

 

Announcing the news at the 10th Annual China Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo (CCS10) in Shanghai was Carnival CEO Arnold Donald, who said that the presences of four brands in the market enables Carnival to provide a diverse lineup of brands and cruise offerings.

 

“As we execute our multi-brand growth strategy in China, we are emphasizing choice and variety in our offerings to match the different tastes and preferences of Chinese travelers,” Donald said. “This is an exciting time in China for the cruise industry.”

 

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said, “With cruise demand rapidly increasing in China and our ability to work in partnership with other Carnival Corporation brands to leverage our collective experience and scale, it provides an outstanding opportunity for Carnival Cruise Line to enter the Chinese market.”

 

Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises, added, “By focusing on the interests of our guests in China, there is a significant opportunity to grow cruising demand for our brand, Carnival Corporation and the industry at large.”

 

In July, Carnival Corporation announced that its Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises brands already sailing in China will continue to expand, with each brand introducing a new ship to its China fleet in 2016 (a 58 percent increase in total capacity in China), brining Carnival Corporation’s tally of ships based in the country to six. According to Carnival, the Costa and Princess brands will together potentially offer about four million passenger cruise days in 2016.

 

Last week, Princess Cruises announced the all-new, Shanghai-based Majestic Princess, to be introduced in summer 2017, will become the first year-round cruise ship built specifically for Chinese guests, incorporating a blend of international and Chinese features.

 

Additionally, Carnival Corporation said it is also exploring potential joint ventures in China with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and China Merchants Group (CMG) designed to accelerate the growth of the nation’s cruise industry, including the possibility of launching a world-class Chinese domestic cruise brand, building new ships in China and supporting port and infrastructure development.

 

Carnival Corporation recently named Michael Ungerer as chief operations officer for Carnival Asia, a newly created position for the company effective September 1. Ungerer, formerly president of AIDA Cruises, will help lead the execution of Carnival Corporation’s growth plans across the region, especially in China.

 

Alan Buckelew, global chief operations officer for Carnival Corporation, relocated to China over a year ago to more closely oversee Carnival’s growing operations in the country, aiming to capitalize on the opportunities to accelerate growth there. Buckelew, who has extensive experience in Asia from nearly four decades in the cruise industry, leads all the company’s initiatives in China in this expanded role, while retaining his overall global responsibilities for the corporation, including oversight of all maritime and port operations around the world and other related functions as part of his COO position.