Carnival Cruise Line and German sister company AIDA Cruises will join fellow Carnival Corporation brands Costa Cruises and Princess Cruises by deploying ships in China in 2017.
The move will make Carnival Corporation the first company to operate four brands in China as it competes against rival Royal Caribbean International for dominance of the country’s burgeoning cruise sector.
Royal Caribbean has deployed Quantum of the Seas (pictured) in China which will be joined by Ovation of the Seas, meaning that two out of a fleet of five ships serving the country – seen as the world’s largest cruise market – will be new-builds.
The move by Carnival Corporation will see four of its 10 brands have at least one ship with a home port in China.
President and chief executive, Arnold Donald, said: “We are excited to introduce our Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises brands to our fleet in China, giving us a total of four global cruise brands in the market and a unique opportunity to provide a diverse line up of brands and cruise offerings to Chinese guests who are looking for a great vacation experience.
“As we execute our multi-brand growth strategy in China, we are emphasising choice and variety in our offerings to match the different tastes and preferences of Chinese travellers.”
Further details on plans to enter the Chinese market in 2017 will be announced soon by each brand, the company said.
Carnival Cruise Line president, Christine Duffy, said: “We greatly look forward to introducing Chinese guests to the exceptional vacation experience that has made Carnival the world’s most popular cruise line with more than 4.5 million guests a year.
“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: “We are honoured to join our Carnival Corporation sister brands in China in 2017, including Costa Cruises, which pioneered cruising in China for the entire industry back in 2006.
“We look forward to offering Chinese guests our authentic AIDA experience of German style on the seas. 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.”