Carnival Will Launch Its Next Phase of China Growth in 2019
Photo Credit: Costa Atlantica is shown in Tianjin, China. The ship will be transferred to a new joint venture, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited, to sail in the market. Carnival Corp.
Skift Take
While some cruise lines are pulling back on their presence in China, Carnival Corp. is moving forward with its long-planned joint venture with local partners. Will domestic travelers flock to a homegrown brand?
More than four years after first floating the idea, Carnival Corp. on Tuesday rolled out plans for its China-based cruise joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
The company, called CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited, will start sailing by the end of next year using a ship transferred from Costa Group, a Carnival Corp. brand. And it plans to add as many as seven more to create a multi-ship, China-focused brand.
Tuesday's announcement comes on the heels of a cooling-off period around China, which saw fast — some might argue too fast — growth over the last several years.
Costa Atlantic, a 2,210-passenger vessel, will be the first ship to join the new brand's fleet and will eventually be joined by Costa Med
