Global cruise giants aim at China’s local market

Just how hot is cruising in China? So hot that even Caribbean-focused Carnival is sending a ship there.

中国的邮轮市场如何啊？太火了，连在加勒比海运行的嘉年华邮轮都要来中国了。

Industry giant Carnival Corp. announced the mass-market "fun ship" brand would deploy a new vessel to China in 2017 that will be specifically aimed at the local market. Carnival Corp.-owned Aida Cruises, a German brand, also will devote a newly-built ship to the China market in 2017, the company revealed.

邮轮巨头嘉年华公司专门瞄准中国市场，2017年将一艘新"大众娱乐邮轮"嘉年华邮轮投入中国市场。嘉年华公司透露，该公司旗下的爱达邮轮公司2017年还将有一艘新邮轮到中国。

The two brands are joining sister line Princess Cruises, which already has announced plans to devote its next new ship to the China market in 2017.

这两个品牌也步入公主邮轮的后尘开拓中国市场，公主邮轮已经宣布2017年在中国投入一艘新邮轮。

Carnival Corp. is the parent company of Carnival, Aida, Princess and seven other cruise brands that together account for nearly half of the worldwide cruise business.

嘉年华公司拥有嘉年华邮轮、爱达邮轮和公主邮轮以及其他几个邮轮品牌，这些邮轮加起来占全球邮轮业的近半壁江山。

The announcement came just a day after Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line said it would deploy a newly-built ship to China in 2017. Royal Caribbean also is in the midst of sending two of its newest, hottest vessels to China.

嘉年华公司13日发布这一消息的前一天，总部在美国迈阿密的挪威邮轮公司称要在2017年往中国派一艘新邮轮。皇家加勒比海邮轮公司也正在向中国中国市场添置两艘最新、最时尚的邮轮。

"This is an exciting time in China for the cruise industry," Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "As the world's largest cruise company and the first global cruise operator in China, we are more committed than ever to helping China become one of the world's most popular regions for cruise vacations."

嘉年华公司的首席执行官阿诺德·唐纳德在发布的声明中说："现在是邮轮业在中国的大好时机。""作为全球最大的邮轮公司和第一家在中国开辟业务的邮轮公司，我们更致力于帮助中国成为全球邮轮度假的最佳地点。"

Carnival Corp. has been a pioneer in cruises aimed at the China market since its Costa Cruises brand first deployed a ship to the country in 2006. Three Costa ships currently are based in China with another heading to the region in 2016. The company's Princess brand first deployed a ship to China in 2014 and will have two vessels there in 2016. The new ship Princess is sending to China in 2017 will be the line's first specifically built for the Chinese market.

2006年，嘉年华旗下的歌诗达邮轮率先洞悉中国邮轮产业潜力，第一个迈入中国市场。目前在中国有三艘歌诗达邮轮，2016年还要增加一艘。该公司的公主邮轮首次到中国是在2014年，到2016年还要再添两艘。2017年到中国的新的公主邮轮将是嘉年华公司为中国市场特别订制的。

Carnival Corp. said it expected more than 500,000 passengers in China this year, up 43% from 2014.

嘉年华公司预计中国今年将有超过50万乘客，比2014年增加43%。

The deployment of a vessel to China is an unusual departure for the Carnival brand, which is one of the most North American-focused cruise lines. Aimed at travelers looking for an affordable, easy-to-reach cruise, Carnival rarely ventures far beyond North America with its deployments, with the majority of its sailings departing from U.S. ports to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska. An exception is the recent move of a Carnival ship to Australia to cater to the Australian market.

向中国市场派出嘉年华邮轮是一个不同寻常的举措，因为该邮轮的主要市场在北美。该邮轮是让旅客能体验到舒适且方便的邮轮之旅，嘉年华邮轮很少进入北美以外的市场，其大多数航行都是从美国的港口到巴哈马群岛、加勒比海、墨西哥和阿拉斯加。最近的一个例外是一艘嘉年华邮轮投入到澳大利亚市场。