Just as Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is poised to place its first ship in the China market, it joins other companies responding to moves by Beijing to block tourism to South Korea, one of two key destinations for Chinese passengers.
The 4,200-berth Norwegian Joy (built 2017) is scheduled to head to China in June, and Del Rio says the company wishes it had the flexibility to send it on cruises to Korea.
But he says that in the meantime, there are plenty of islands in Japan for itineraries from China.
“We’re all hopeful — the entire industry — that this is a temporary setback, not something permanent,” he said. “But so far we are all dealing with it quite well.”
