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In Asia, cruising is on the rise.
Part of the draw is the region's growing cache of affluent consumers. But cruise companies also are catering to a growing demand for Asia as a destination for tourists from elsewhere.
'The big names are starting to look at Asia' not just as a place to cruise around, but to base 'significant vessels in the region,' says Kevin Schellack, managing director of Italy-based MSC Cruises.
MSC Cruises doesn't yet have a ship based in Asia, but says the number of passengers from Asia on cruises it runs outside the region grew 66% in the first six months of 2007, compared with the year-earlier period. Costa Crociere, the Italian branch of U.S.-based Carnival Cruise Lines, opened an office in Shanghai last year to launch its Asia operations. And high-end company Silversea Cruises, which is headquartered in Monaco, recently opened a regional office in Singapore.
At luxury-liner Crystal Cruises of Japan, at least 11% of its guests this year came from Asia, up four times from last year. Company spokeswoman Mimi Weisband says that 'Asia is definitely on the rise as a cruise destination for us.' This year, the company's liner, Crystal Symphony, began visiting Hong Kong and China following a two-year absence.
Some ships are even getting a makeover. Earlier this year, to accommodate customers in China, Costa added mahjong tables on its 1,000-passenger liner, the Allegra, after guests asked for them. It also hired about 140 Mandarin-speaking crew members.
The region's cities are gearing up to host more cruises, too. There's a newly refurbished ship terminal in Singapore, and the government has set up a $6.9 million fund to develop the cruise industry there. Shanghai and Hong Kong also have plans to open new passenger terminals for cruise liners in 2008 and 2012, respectively.
The market, while growing, is still small. Currently, the region represents just 5% of the international cruise market, according to Costa. But the number of Asian passengers is projected to grow to 1.5 million in 2010 from about 1.1 million in 2005, according to the London-based Ocean Shipping Consultants.
One barrier companies face is that cruising is a relatively new concept in Asia. 'People know what is a ferry . . . But the experience (of a cruise) doesn't exist,' says Massimo Brancaleoni, vice president of Costa's Pacific Asia operations. Even so, Costa, which currently runs one ship in Asia, has big plans to launch more ships in the region, says Mr. Brancaleoni. 'We are here to stay.'
Star Cruises
This Hong Kong-based company has been operating for about 14 years and offers a lot of day cruises. It also makes trips to Southeast Asia and Japan. A day cruise around Hong Kong starts at $56. www.starcruises.com
Costa Cruises
The company emphasizes family-oriented activities. Its vessel sails between Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea. Full fare for a five-day round-trip from Hong Kong to Vietnam starts at $390 a person. www.costacruisesasia.com
Crystal Cruises
Both of the company's luxury liners will ply the region next year. Fares start at $10,130 a person for a 12-day trip from Hong Kong to Singapore, with stops in Vietnam and Thailand. www.crystalcruises.com
Silversea
This luxury cruise company offers nine-day journeys with stops in Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Japan. Fares for a nine-day trip that begins in Hong Kong and ends in Singapore start at $6,195 a person. www.silversea.com
亚洲的邮轮行业正呈上升态势。
推动邮轮行业发展的部分原因在于有钱的主顾越来越多。与此同时，来亚洲旅行的游客人数与日俱增，邮轮公司也在应对这些旅游者的需求。
总部位于意大利的地中海邮轮(MSC Cruises)董事总经理凯文•谢莱克(Kevin Schellack)说，许多大公司都开始不仅将亚洲视为一个巡游目的地，而将它视为值得配置重要邮轮的地方。
地中海邮轮目前还没有在亚洲配置船只，但表示2007年上半年其在亚洲之外运营的船只上，来自亚洲的乘客数量比上年同期增长了66%。嘉年华邮轮(Carnival Cruise Lines)是一家总部位于美国的邮轮公司，其意大利分支机构歌诗达邮轮(Costa Crociere)去年在上海设立了一家办事处用于开展亚洲业务。而总部在摩纳哥的豪华邮轮公司Silversea Cruises最近也在新加坡成立了一家办事处。
日本豪华邮轮公司水晶邮轮(Crystal Cruises)今年的顾客中至少有11%来自亚洲，这一比例较去年上升了四倍。该公司发言人Mimi Weisband表示，“亚洲无疑正成为我们日益重要的巡游目的地”。今年，该公司的“水晶交响号”(Crystal Symphony)开始巡游中国香港和大陆地区，之前两年该邮轮都没有在这些地方开展业务。
有些船甚至还进行了改造。今年早些时候，歌诗达为了满足中国顾客的需求在其可容纳1000名乘客的邮轮“爱兰歌娜号”(Allegra)上加装了麻将桌，还雇用了约140名会说普通话的船员。
亚洲各大城市也施展解数，争相接待更多邮轮。新加坡最近翻修了一处码头，政府还设立了一项690万美元的基金用于发展国内邮轮业。上海和香港也分别计划在2008和2012年为邮轮开放新的客运码头。
亚洲邮轮市场虽然正在成长中，但规模仍然很小。歌诗达的数据显示，亚洲市场在全球邮轮市场中所占份额仅有5%。不过，据伦敦海运研究机构Ocean Shipping Consultants预测，2010年亚洲邮轮乘客将由2005年时的大约110万人次增至150万人次。
在亚洲，乘邮轮观光是一种相对较新的概念，这也正是邮轮公司面临的困难之一。歌诗达亚太区副总裁马司模(Massimo Brancaleoni)表示，虽然大家都知道乘船摆渡是什么，但没有人对邮轮有过亲身体验。尽管歌诗达目前在亚洲仅运营一艘邮轮，不过该公司已制定宏伟计划，打算增加在亚洲的邮轮数量。照马司模所言，那就是“我们要在这里站稳脚跟”。
丽星邮轮(Star Cruises)
这家香港公司已有14年的经营历史，提供多项日间游服务，以及从香港到东南亚和日本的长途服务。该公司环香港的邮轮日间游起价为56美元。公司网站是：www.starcruises.com
歌诗达邮轮
该公司强调面向家庭推出活动。其邮轮航行于香港、上海、越南、日本和韩国等国家和地区之间。从香港到越南的五天往返服务起价为每人390美元。公司网站是：www.costacruisesasia.com
水晶邮轮
该公司的两艘豪华邮轮将从明年起在亚洲地区提供定期往返服务。从香港到新加坡的12天旅行起价为每人10,130美元，中途在越南和泰国停靠。公司网站是：www.crystalcruises.com
Silversea
这家豪华邮轮公司提供全程九天的旅行服务，中途在东南亚、印度、香港和日本停靠。从香港至新加坡的九天服务收费起价为每人6,195美元。公司网站为：www.silversea.com
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