Looking to sail the Asia-Pacific seas? It’s a pretty good bet that China will be part of that itinerary.

Cruises to China are growing by leaps and bounds according to the China National Tourism Administration. Collectively, China’s cruise ports reported 629 cruise ship calls in 2015, a growth of 35 per cent over the previous year. And international cruise passengers have grown a whopping 44 per cent year over year.

Chinese passengers are also increasingly taking international cruises. According to the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), some 986,000 Chinese passengers took a cruise in 2015.

All five of the world’s largest cruise lines make calls in China. What’s more, Carnival Corp., Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises have all outlined strategic growth programs for China, with goals ranging from sending more ships to the region to increasing sales presence within the market.

Princess Cruises—one of the brands in the Carnival Corp. family—is even launching its first ship designed for China travellers. The Majestic will hit the market next April, with an inaugural in the Adriatic Sea. The ship will tour Europe, before heading to Shanghai, where she will homeport starting July 11, 2017.

China recently opened the Prince Bay cruise port in Shenzen, which provides extra convenience for mainland China residents, who formerly had to cross into Hong Kong to embark upon a cruise. The port is getting ready to welcome the Silversea Cruises’ Silver Shadow this January after the vessel finishes a facelift in Shanghai.

According to the Shenzen Daily, Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises are also planning to make calls at the port. 

Follow @MonicaPoling