Fun on high seas creates wave of biz opportunities

Christmas is nigh and my mind rewinds to a weeklong cruise trip I went on six years ago around this time. Back then, I was studying in the United States, and students traveled during the vacation.

The $1,000 trip started at the port of Miami, Florida, and covered the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Mexico in the region.

The fare included buffets, various restaurants and bars, entertainment shows, swimming and hot spring pools on board. It, however, didn't cover activities ashore like scuba diving, canoeing and sightseeing excursions.

Since I had a valid US visa, the cruise line didn't require me to obtain any additional visas to visit the destinations. Boarding, lodging and transport were all taken care of. It was fun, convenient, easy and memorable.

Barring a couple of Chinese students, I barely noticed any compatriots on the ship. At the time, going on a cruise wasn't a popular option among the Chinese as it is now.

The cruise market in China is steadily maturing. More global cruise operators are offering different routes in China and around Asian countries.

In a short period, China has become the world's second-largest cruise market, in terms of number of tourists, according to the Ministry of Transport.

High-cost trips to far-off places like the freezing Antarctica have become hotter. Chinese travelers are seeking more diverse experiences and pursuing personalized and quality trips, driven by rising income and evolving tastes.

Currently, Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency, offers more than 20 cruise options to Antarctica. Typically, a cruise ship can take in 3,500 travelers. Growing demand among Chinese travelers has caused a 30-percent spike in the number of voyages offered now, compared to the same period last year.

From November this year to March in 2019, a busier and warmer season for traveling to Antarctica, the number of voyage bookings on Ctrip by Chinese is expected to surge more than 100 percent year-on-year. Only a few spots reportedly remain to be filled for the seven-day Spring Festival break of 2019.

The trip package to Antarctica or plus some countries of South America cost between 50,000 yuan ($7,267) and 200,000 yuan. The average cost of a cruise trip is around 110,000 yuan.

My parents and friends are used to taking flights and staying at local hotels when they travel. They haven't gone on a cruise yet. A cruise is on their to-do list. That to me is yet another proof of the immense growth potential of the cruise market in China.