China Is Building a Cruise Empire… And US Cruise Lines Are Nervous

In this episode, we take a closer look at something that isn’t getting the attention it deserves… the rapid growth of China’s cruise industry.

For decades, the global cruise market has been dominated by a handful of Western companies like Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. They’ve built the ships, set the standards, and shaped what cruising looks like today.

But that dominance is starting to be challenged.
China is building its own cruise industry, from the ground up.

We explore the rise of Adora Cruises, China’s first domestically built large cruise ships, and how the country is scaling production faster than many expected. With new ships being built up to 20% quicker than previous builds, and plans already in place for multiple new vessels, China is moving fast.

China’s cruise industry is being built around its own market, its own passengers, and its own expectations. From onboard dining focused on Chinese cuisine, to entertainment, technology, and even the way cruises are priced, this is a very different product to what most Western cruisers are used to.

We also look at the numbers:
• A 40.1% increase in cruise passengers in China in 2025
• Forecasts of more than 14 million Chinese cruise passengers annually by 2035
• Comparable to the current annual passenger numbers of Carnival Corporation

And perhaps most importantly, we explore why Chinese cruise lines may be able to offer more value — including government-backed subsidies that help lower costs and accelerate growth.
Having recently travelled through China ourselves, including a Yangtze River cruise, we also share our first-hand experience of how different the culture, expectations, and onboard experience can be — from food and service to daily life and travel habits.

So the big question is…
Should US cruise lines be worried?

This isn’t about sudden disruption. It’s about long-term change. And if China continues at this pace, the global cruise industry could look very different in the years ahead.