London Maritime Academy is a trade name for London Premier Group
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11/28/2025, 2:43:02 PM
The China Tourism Group is spearheading an initiative to enhance the cruise ship market in China, which entails consolidating the management of various domestic brands.
Notably, this effort is part of a broader strategy by the Chinese government to consolidate industries identified as having significant potential yet underperforming.
A new company, Huaxia, has been established as a subsidiary of China Tourism and China COSCO Shipping Group, tasked initially with managing five cruise ships in China.
Star Cruises: A Novel Approach to Cruise Management
On November 21, a signing ceremony established a new company, Star Cruises, under Huaxia to manage cruise ships. China Tourism holds a 35 per cent stake, while COSCO and China Merchants each own nearly 18 per cent.
The consolidated operation encompasses four state-owned entities, specifically the cruise operations of Cosco, China Merchants Group, and China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
Moreover, the distinct brands, such as Adora Cruises—China's first operator of large domestically built cruise ships—will maintain their operations under the new company’s management.
Adora, initially a joint venture with Carnival Corporation, is now owned by China State Shipbuilding. Carnival has since become a minority investor in the brand, which debuted in 2023 with its first newbuild introduced in January 2024.
Besides, the combined management will oversee Adora Magic City, Adora Mediterranea, Piano Land, Nanhai Dream, and the under-construction Adora Flora City. This operation will feature around 16,000 berths, positioning it as the largest cruise operator by capacity in Asia.
The decision to merge operations aims to enhance efficiency and reduce overhead costs for cruise ship operations. Additionally, the Chinese domestic cruise industry is facing challenges with low ticket prices and a slow recovery following the pandemic.
The last significant cruise market to reopen following the pandemic was China. It further postponed the return of foreign-flag cruise ships run by worldwide brands to Chinese ports and prevented domestic cruise operations from resuming until 2023.
Chinese Policymakers on Cruise Opportunities View
Major international cruise lines had already scaled back operations or removed cruise ships from China prior to the epidemic, citing the country's weak market and lack of conventional marketing prospects. The majority of cruises are sold in groups or through other companies.
On the other hand, Chinese policymakers emphasise the opportunities. Strong multiples of the money spent on cruises, they claim, are leveraged into further expenditures for supplies and auxiliary services. It claims that for the initial cost of the ticket, cruising can boost economic activity ten to fourteen times.
At the Maritime Training Academy, students engage in comprehensive studies related to cruise fleets, including operations, ship design, buoyancy principles, and hospitality guest experience. Key focus areas encompass fleet and crew management, itinerary planning, onboard revenue, environmental sustainability, and adherence to maritime regulations.
China Tourism Group is preparing for the delivery of its second domestically manufactured large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, which is set to be delivered in late 2026. This initiative aims to boost growth in the cruise industry.
In addition to state-owned cruise lines, China has established its first private cruise business. Recently, one of the companies purchased a former Costa Cruises cruise ship. On a recent delivery mission to China, the ship passed via the Suez Canal.
According to tourism officials, in the first nine months of 2025, cruise ships docking at Chinese ports carried over 2 million passengers, a 28% increase.
