Royal Caribbean also aims at China

London - The response of the Royal Caribbean group to Carnival Corporation in the war for the penetration of the Chinese cruise market was to position five ships for the season 2015-6 with 4 different home ports. The president of the company, Adam Goldstein, announced it during the Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo currently under way at Tientsin (Tianjin). Let’s examine in detail what are the plans of the Royal Caribbean brand: the flagship of the Far East fleet will be the new Quantum of the Seas that will start service in a few days. This is the first time a cruise company positions a new ship in China, a clear sign that times are changing. This “cruise-liner” will have Shanghai as home port. With more than 167,000 gross tonnage, it will be the largest ship ever to arrive in these waters. The other Royal ships in the area will be the Mariner of the Seas (home port at Tientsin), the Voyager of the Seas (home port at Hong Kong) and the Legend of the Seas (home port at Xiamen). Furthermore, the subsidiary Celebrity Cruises will offer cruises from Hong Kong with the renowned Celebrity Millennium. In total, Goldstein’s company will put in the Chinese market 14,298 beds. In comparison, the Carnival Corporation will position 4 ships in the Chinese market for the season 2015/6: three of Costa Cruises (the Costa Victoria, the Costa Atlantica and the “new entry” Costa Serena) and one of Princess Cruises (the Sapphire Princess) for a total of 9,718 beds. Looking at the numbers, it is evident that Royal will be at an advantage for the next cruise season in China in comparison to Carnival. Maybe from this, the idea of a joint venture Carnival –CSSC is born, with the goal to create a new brand designed for and dedicated to the Chinese market. Royal Caribbean is also carrying out studies to position itself on the Chinese market with a brand created exclusively for China. As a matter of fact, last month the company announced the sale of the Celebrity Century ship to a holding led by Ctrip.com International (which advertises as the largest Chinese online travel agency). The handover is planned for next April. After a significant makeover to transform it to a ship “with almond eyes”, the former Century will sail under the new flag of Exquisite Marine. But several international sources pointed to a study for the creation of a joint venture for the management of this new Chinese brand based on what was done between Royal Caribbean and TUI that led to the creation of the brand TUI cruises dedicated exclusively to the German market. This way Royal could beat Carnival in the creation of an exclusive brand for the Chinese cruise passengers. The next few years will be critical to see who will win this promising new market. In the meantime the “war” has started by positioning an ever growing number of ships on these routes.