For 2011, Costa has plans for 41 cruises in China including six port calls from Hong Kong and 35 from Shanghai.

The itineraries starting in Shanghai will have one-day calls at most travel destinations in Japan and South Korea, while those starting in Hong Kong will include cruises to cities in Taiwan or Vietnam.

Meanwhile RCCL plans to launch three- and four-night itineraries departing from China on the aptly named Legend of the Seas ship to satisfy Chinese customers' preference for short trips and onboard corporate conferences.

To support the endeavor, the company will increase the number of crew members speaking Chinese, Chinese nameplates will be a common sight soon, and an onboard Chinese menu will be revealed.

"That is why more and more Chinese mainland tourists choose to travel on a cruise," said RCCL's Liu.

There are also great hopes for a new trend in the cruise market, catering for the needs of retirees who plan to take a cruise. According to industry statistics, 70 percent of senior citizens in China plan to travel abroad.

At present, 20 percent of the guests boarding Royal Caribbean Cruises are above 50 years. "Their participation is a strong base for the cruise market," said RCCL's Liu.

In addition, a cruise is also a popular way for companies to hold annual conferences or reward their employees, said Costa's Liu.

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"We're seeing a lot of growth in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) segment," he said. In the last few years, Costa has run a number of successful charters for well-known enterprises and organizations as a way to host conferences and reward their employees.

"We anticipate that the market will continue to see healthy growth in 2011 and 2012 due to a tremendous market potential from the infancy of cruise travel in China," Costa's Liu said.

The cruise operator carried 100,000 passengers in China last year. With more ports - and port expansion projects - as part of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), the company expects to benefit from such developments.

"This will benefit tourists, adding more destinations and a wider range of options," he said.

In line with this growth story, Costa Cruises will continue to ramp up its Asia attractions and is set to introduce one of its most coveted vessels, the Costa Victoria, which can accommodate 2,394 passengers and has 964 cabins.

RCCL's Liu said that the booming Chinese economy, post-Olympics and Shanghai World Expo, will inspire more Chinese to travel to other parts of the world to embrace other cultures and geography.