As it enters its second month, China's maiden world cruise is helping to set the standard for mid-luxury travel among Chinese tourists
The first world cruise to depart from China will dock in New York on April 14 (local time), 45 days after departing from Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal at the start of March.
Carrying nearly 1,000 passengers, the Costa Atlantica will spend nearly a month in the United States, home to a number of exciting destinations for these circumnavigators, before it leaves Hawaii on May 13.
The 86-day journey will span five continents and cover 28 destinations in 18 countries, including Athens, Barcelona, Rome and Los Angeles. Tickets start from 134,999 yuan ($21,800) per person.
These destinations were selected based on the wish lists of Chinese customers, according to Huang Ruiling, general manager for China of Costa Cruises Shipping Service (Shanghai) Co Ltd.
Passengers on the ongoing cruise range from an 88-year-old man to a one-year-old baby.
"Traveling around the world has long been a dream of mine, so my wife and I booked this trip immediately after seeing it advertised last June," said Hu Shizong, a 72-year-old writer from Shenyang in northern China's Liaoning province.
Hu said his most precious belonging is a 220,000-word guide that he recently compiled with some friends covering the history, culture and geography of the 28 destinations on the trip.
"I want to visit the UN headquarters in New York and take a look at the world's most famous city. I also look forward to taking a picture with the Statue of Liberty in the background," he said.
"I'm very interested in the trip to Pearl Harbor to see the relics from World War II," said Hu, who writes novels about the Chinese military.
Liu Xiaochun, a 39-year-old marketing manager from Beijing, is getting addicted to sailing on foreign seas after taking a three-day cruise from Shanghai to South Korea in 2010.
"I requested a three-month vacation to take this trip," said Liu, who works for a medical company. She is looking forward to seeing ancient Greek relics, the Aegean Sea, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Hawaii.
The US is among six countries that welcomed over 1 million Chinese tourists last year, according to the China National Tourism Administration. The other five are all in Asia: South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore.
The US Department of Commerce forecasts that China will represent its No 3 source of tourists by 2019 after its two neighbors, Canada and Mexico.
Over 30,000 Chinese visited the country last year by booking on Ctrip.com, one of China's largest online travel companies. The number was up 60 percent year-on-year. Most of the trips to the US range from 10 to 14 days, the company said.
Luxury travel to the US is booming as China becomes wealthier.
"It is a cost-efficient destination for long-haul luxury travelers from China," said Alison Gilmore, senior exhibition director of the invitation-only International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Portfolio.
"The new 10-year multi-entry visa for Chinese nationals is a significant development in outbound luxury travel to the region."
Medium-and small- sized cruise liners that provide more private space, customized meals prepared by Michelin-starred chefs and more time to travel on land are becoming popular among wealthy Chinese, said Chen Yanhao, a general manager at HHTravel, which specializes in luxury travel.
"Well-traveled Chinese are now prepared to pay more for better quality," he said. "Because the passengers are wealthy with quite a high social status, the trips also provide a valuable platform for them to expand their network of contacts."
Shanghai China Travel International Ltd (CTL Shanghai) has seen growth of 20 percent among its high-end customers in recent years, said Wang Wei, deputy general manager of CTL Shanghai's Outbound Tour Center.
A nine-day road trip, with the customer at the wheel, from San Francisco to LA along California State Route 1 costs 90,000 yuan ($14,500) per person. Eleven days with well-trained guides at national parks including the Grand Canyon, Antelope Valley and Bryce Canyon goes for 127,500 yuan, Chen said.
A first-class helicopter trip with champagne on board is one of HHTravel's most popular itineraries, he added.
Gilmore noted that as American luxury brands become more popular in China's second-and third-tier cities, consumers' interest in visiting the country is on the up.
Costa's groundbreaking trip should pave the way for more long cruises departing from China, said Cheng Juehao, a professor from Shanghai Maritime University who specializes in studying cruises and yachts.
Costa has expanded quickly since entering the China market in 2006. It now operates at two home ports in Shanghai and Tianjin. Its capacity has surged 74 percent on the mainland in the last two years.
"After nearly 10 years of operating, our business has reached a new era with more creative products," said Huang.
wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn
lixueqing@chinadaily.com.cn
