Want to visit China without any hassles? Do it on a ship
China's best-known sights, such as the Terracotta Warriors, Forbidden City, most famous bits of the Great Wall and Guilin's superb landscapes, are all inland. Don't be misled into thinking China isn't a cruise destination, however.
Think about it, and it should come as no surprise that China's coastline is packed with oodles of history, venerable port towns and pulsating megacities that showcase the nation's mind-boggling economic development, of which Shanghai is the most spectacular.
The cruise market in China showed a sharp rebound in 2024. Admittedly, much of that was driven by the domestic cruise market, which the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences estimates could be worth CNY550 billion ($119 billion) by 2035.
Adora Magic City, the first large cruise ship built in China, became profitable within two months of its launch in January 2024, an unheard-of achievement in the business.
But what about international cruisers? Well, if you're looking for a worry-free way to see China then you'll find an increasingly wide range of options.
International cruise lines are being encouraged to visit China by government policy and infrastructure development, boosted by visa-free entry that was introduced in May 2024 for cruise passengers.
Many cruise lines now call at Chinese ports, generally on itineraries between South-East Asia and Japan, or around Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, among them Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Silversea and Windstar.
One of the big players is MSC Cruises, which returned to China in March 2024 after a pandemic-related hiatus. MSC Bellissima homeports in Shanghai.
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