China’s emerging cruise market: product adaptation and passenger behaviour
Published in 2017, this book chapter examined the rapid emergence of cruising in China, the supply offered by international cruise lines from Chinese ports, and how routes, facilities and onboard activities were adapted to Chinese passengers. It also considered cruising as a form of social valuation and distinction. This archive record places those observations alongside later research on Chinese cruise preferences and the market’s post-pandemic recovery.
What the study did and found
In “Is China a new goldmine for cruise companies?”, Véronique Mondou and Benjamin Taunay examined China’s expanding cruise market using research conducted since 2010. They compared ships, routes and cruise durations departing from Chinese ports, alongside adaptations made by international operators for Chinese passengers. The chapter also explored onboard activities, cultural expectations and cruising as a marker of social status. Its findings describe market and behavioural patterns rather than establish causal relationships.
Why it is cited
The chapter provides a historical snapshot of China’s rapidly growing cruise sector in 2017. It established themes that later studies explored in greater detail, including cultural adaptation, onboard services and passenger preferences. Subsequent research examined food choices, shore excursions and perceptions of Western hospitality. Mondou’s 2020 analysis also documented a market decline beginning in 2018, demonstrating why the chapter’s original growth expectations require historical context.
Later studies support the importance of cultural adaptation. A 2020 qualitative study involving 76 Chinese passengers on three international cruise ships departing from Shanghai found that travellers generally welcomed Western-style activities but preferred familiar Chinese alternatives in some circumstances. Research involving 76 Chinese cruise tourists similarly found initial interest in unfamiliar foods, followed by a preference for Chinese options when Western dishes proved unsuitable. These findings highlight the influence of passenger expectations and product design, although they do not validate every market-growth prediction made in 2017. The market had already begun declining before the pandemic.
The topic today
International cruises resumed from Chinese ports in September 2023. In 2025, Shanghai recorded 538 cruise ship movements and 1.83 million passenger trips, reflecting renewed activity. Regulations effective from March 2026 introduced provisions for multi-port itineraries and experimental cruises without port calls. Meanwhile, a 2025 choice-experiment study identified cruise duration and destination as leading itinerary preferences. Research now increasingly addresses recovery, passenger segmentation and product design rather than the initial emergence of China's cruise market.