Holding positive expectations for China's cruise sector, Royal Caribbean, a US-based cruise major, is gearing up to further solidify its position in the world's second-largest economy, said a senior executive of the company.

Starting its voyage in the China market in 2009, Royal Caribbean has benefited from the first golden decade of China's cruise industry.

"I want us to continue leading and to be at the forefront of that next golden decade," said Benjamin Bouldin, president of Royal Caribbean China and managing director of Asia, during an exclusive interview with China Daily. "I would judge a golden decade now very differently from how I would have judged it before."

"I think the next golden age can be a better one. It may not be as flashy or generate the same kinds of headlines, but the industry is offering better cruise holidays, better experiences and destinations and itineraries that are more closely tailored to guests," Bouldin said.

This confidence is based on the company's strong performance in the China market, where Spectrum of the Seas, the group's first Quantum Ultra-class cruise ship, operated 20 sailings and welcomed about 100,000 guests in the second quarter in China.

"From 2026 to now, sailings in the Chinese market have achieved a load factor exceeding 110 percent, with each voyage carrying approximately 5,000 guests on average," said Bouldin, adding that their performance in China was very much in line with the strong performance of the group overall.

The Royal Caribbean Group reported that its capacity in the second quarter rose 5 percent year-on-year and the company delivered vacations to 2.4 million guests, a 6 percent increase year-on-year. Its total revenue increased 6 percent year-on-year, and load factor for the quarter was 110 percent.

Regarding China as one of its most important homeport markets, and Shanghai as one of its biggest and most significant homeports, Bouldin said there was a huge addressable market and considerable interest in cruising and holidays.

This year, for example, the cruise brand expects nearly 15 percent of its guests in China to come from international markets. Bouldin attributed this in part to China's opening-up efforts and measures such as visa-free policies in recent years.

"We have seen a very positive impact. Longer sailings tend to attract more international guests because they offer more time and a broader range of destinations," said Bouldin.

"On Spectrum of the Seas' March 21 sailing from Shanghai, we welcomed nearly 3,700 international guests, representing 88 percent of everyone onboard. Nearly 80 percent of those international guests arrived under China's visa-free transit policy," Bouldin explained.

There was a strong and diverse international audience, with guests from markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Russia, Germany and France, he said.

During the first half of this year, 22.91 million passenger trips were made by inbound foreign travelers, up 20.4 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the National Immigration Administration. Among them, 17.82 million were visa-free, accounting for 77.7 percent of all foreign arrivals, an increase of 30.6 percent from the same period last year.

"China's efforts to grow inbound tourism have really helped us. Hopefully, we have also helped strengthen Shanghai's appeal, because there are international guests who want to come here to cruise with us," said Bouldin.

Concerning Chinese peers' efforts to build and operate domestically made cruise ships, Bouldin said the potential for cruising in China was enormous because "penetration remains very low", offering significant opportunity to introduce more people to this type of holiday.

"Having a domestic cruise line that is deeply invested in the market is good for the industry as a whole. It will find its own path, its own audience and its own way of doing things, and I am sure it can be successful," Bouldin said.

He explained that more brands and greater product diversity expand consumer choice, raise awareness of cruising and encourage innovation and higher service standards. In the meantime, they are also helping develop cruise shipbuilding in China, which is another important industry.

"When you look at the expected growth in cruise ships over the next 10 or 20 years, it is a sensible area in which to build expertise. Global demand for ships of different shapes and sizes looks set to continue. We wish everyone involved every success. Over time, there may also be opportunities for Chinese shipbuilders to build for other cruise brands," said Bouldin.

Global cruise passenger volume reached over 37 million in 2025, according to Cruise Lines International Association's 2025 Global Market Report. By source passenger regions, Asia was the fastest-growing region, increasing about 17 percent to 3 million passengers. The Chinese mainland accounted for 37.2 percent of Asia's cruise passenger source market, ranking first in Asia.

"I have no doubt about the potential of the China market. My job is to help create a cruise ecosystem that is strong, developed and stable enough to support those kinds of operations," said Bouldin, adding that growth is developing in a more sustainable way, and that can create a stronger business and a stronger model over time.

"I believe we are at the start of another exciting period. But it will be a more patient and thoughtful one. It is also because Chinese consumers are so dynamic: even what they like today may be different tomorrow," he said.

（Source: China Daily）