Royal Caribbean launched a new marketing campaign in Hong Kong, entitled "Cruise Extraordinary."

The new campaign is designed to show the cruise line's imaginative approach to cruising in the Chinese market and will be shown in targeted television and print ads.

Royal Caribbean wants to highlight the experiences guests can enjoy onboard that give are all about enjoying oneself on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The new TV commercial was shot onboard Quantum of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas during actual cruises.

The commercial includes a cast of 200 actors and cost tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars and is aimed at guests who are looking for a different vacation adventure.  

Balwin Yeung, director of sales and marketing of Royal Caribbean Cruises Hong Kong said, “As the market leader in Hong Kong, this year Royal Caribbean has adopted a more visible positioning on the market with aggressive advertising and sales strategies to appeal to customers looking for something truly special.”

The commercial will be aired in Hong Kong starting from today and will work hand in hand with messages in other media to create more touch points for consumers to get a taste of the cruising experience.

Royal Caribbean has cancelled a scheduled stop in Bali for Radiance of the Seas on Thursday, March 17, 2016, due to travel advisories that warn of a potential terrorist attack.

Instead of making the stop in Bali, Radiance of the Seas will remain at sea for an additional sea day.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement to guests that apologized for the change in itinerary.

"Our guests’ vacation time is precious and we did not take these decisions lightly. The safety of our guests and crew is always our foremost concern."

"We will continue to monitor the security situation in Indonesia and will notify guests or their travel agents if there are changes to future sailings that visit Indonesia."

A new report seems to indicate Royal Caribbean is making plans to have one of its Oasis class cruise ships make stops in Japan in 2018.

The Nikkei Asian Review is reporting that Royal Caribbean will have an Oasis class ship call in Japan.  Currently, there is no indication which ports will see this ship, since no ports can currently handle a ship of that size.

Royal Caribbean is feeling out various ports, such as Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, in western Japan, on their willingness to make upgrades.

Royal Caribbean Cruises currently owns two Oasis-class cruise ships and is scheduled to take delivery of two more -- one this year and the other in 2018.

Royal Caribbean is expecting to book 10,000 Indonesian cruise passengers next year, which would represent double-digit growth for the region.

The Jakarta Post reports Royal Caribbean saw 5,500 Indonesian passengers on its ships last year and has experience a growth rate of at least 5 percent in Indonesian passenger numbers since 2013.

Globally, Indonesia is the second-biggest cruise market after China although no cruise ships embark passengers there.

Most Indonesian passengers board a Royal Caribbean cruise at Singapore. Royal Caribbean managing director for Singapore and Southeast Asia Sean Treacy said Indonesians enjoy cruises that visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Phuket, Thailand.

The Transportation Ministry recently issued a ministerial regulation that finally allowed foreign cruise ships to pick up and drop off tourists in selected Indonesian ports, such as Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, and Belawan, North Sumatra in a bid to boost the tourism sector. 

Royal Caribbean has signed a multi-million dollar marketing deal with the Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group to promote cruises from Singapore.

The new deal runs between 2015 and 2018 and is expected to attract over 170,000 foreign visitors to Singapore to take a Royal Caribbean cruise, which should constitute growth of over 50 percent.

Royal Caribbean will be increasing the number of cruises from Singapore during this same period, to over 40 a year.  Mariner of the Seas is currently offering cruises from Singapore at a pace of about 30 cruises per year.

Mariner of the Seas' next Singapore season which will be the largest ever starting from this October, will feature more long cruises of seven to 15 nights, aimed at attracting more overseas fly-cruise guests.

The new marketing campaign will consist of research studies and channel development activities in markets around the world, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Europe and North America.

Royal Caribbean managing director for Singapore and Southeast Asia, Sean Treacy, commented on the deal, "Having deployed ships here regularly for the last seven years, Royal Caribbean now looks forward to its next phase of significant growth in Singapore. Our three-year deployment plan is our strongest commitment ever to this market and we see great potential in Singapore as a source market and regional cruise hub. We highly appreciate this collaboration which will be a tremendous support for our business goals in Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as the strong efforts of the Singapore Government for being so proactive in driving the cruise business in the country."

Providing a link between Royal Caribbean International, Singapore and its regional neighbors is Changi Airport’s strong connectivity to 320 cities worldwide, along with some 6,700 weekly flights, giving Singapore a strategic advantage to effectively tap fly-cruise traffic from across the globe and serve as a cruise hub for Asia.

Royal Caribbean announced today it was promoting Dr. Zinan Liu as its new President for the China and North Asia Pacific region.

Zinan joined Royal Caribbean International in 2009 and has been spearheading all of Royal Caribbean's commercial and operational activities, and significantly growing the brand in the region, including opening offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and bolstering the brand's operations in Shanghai. 

Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley commented on the promotion, "These are exciting times for Royal Caribbean International as we continue to build our business in China.  I am confident that Zinan's expertise as a global travel veteran, his strong relationships in the region, and astute business acumen, will put us in a powerful position to reach our goals."

Zinan holds a doctoral degree in economics from the University of London, and also is Chairman of Cruise Lines International Association, North Asia, where he has been an influential spokesman for the cruise industry in the region.

Local media in Taiwan are reporting that Royal Caribbean plans to propose a development plan for the port of Penghu Jinlongtou, which could be a new homeport in Asia for the cruise line.

SinoShip News reports Taiwan minister of Transportation and Communications, Yeh Kuang-shih, has instructed Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) to coordinate with Royal Caribbean on the investment plan.

Jinlongtou port currently belongs to the Taiwanese navy, and the navy has agreed to hand over the port and transfer its base to another port.

Royal Caribbean is expected to propose a development plan by the end of January.

Speaking at the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) conference in Cartagena, Colombia, Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein and Chairman Richard Fain commented on the future of the cruise line in a number of directions.

Minuto30 covered the conference where Goldstein spoke about which parts of the world Royal Caribbean will focus its efforts in the coming years and mentioned they will strengthen its presence in the Caribbean, its natural destination, but is dedicated to recognizing "business opportunities everywhere."

"There are other regions like Asia-Pacific, also emerge as potential cruise," Goldstein added, stressing that these routes are also near the American public, who "will remain the largest source of world cruises".

Later Richard Fain addressed one of the thorniest issues surrounding this industry: safety.  He said that cruise ship safety is "essential" along with respect for the environment.

Royal Caribbean announced today its summer 2014 season for Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, continuing sailings from Shanghai (Baoshan), Beijing (Tianjin), Hong Kong, and Singapore.  The two ships will offer cruises to South Korea, Japan or Taiwan.

From March 2014 through November 2014, Mariner of the Seas will offer roundtrip cruises out of Shanghai (Baoshan) on three- to six-night itineraries that call at Seoul (Incheon), Busan, Jeju Island, or Yeosu (Gangyang). The ship’s summer season will conclude with an eight-night sailing from Shanghai (Baoshan) to Singapore, departing Nov. 4, 2014, with ports of call at Xiamen and Hong Kong, China, and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam.

The summer 2014 season for Voyager of the Seas will begin with a 10-night itinerary departing Singapore on April 10 to Tokyo, Japan, with calls at Hong Kong, Kaohsiung and Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan, and Nagasaki, Japan. Voyager will then sail a six-night South Korea and Nagoya (Japan) itinerary, roundtrip from Tokyo on April 20, followed by two Japan cruises, a four-night itinerary from Tokyo to Taipei (Keelung) departing May 5, and a seven-night roundtrip itinerary from Taipei (Keelung) departing May 9.

From June through September 2014, Voyager of the Seas will sail four- to six-night Korea itineraries roundtrip from Beijing (Tianjin), and call at Seoul (Incheon), Yeosu (Gangyang), Busan, and Jeju Island, South Korea. The ship will then sail a seven-night Japan and Korea cruise from Beijing (Tianjin) to Hong Kong on Sept. 10, followed by four-, five- and seven-night Japan and Taiwan cruises roundtrip from Hong Kong throughout Sept. and early Oct. 2014.

Lisa Bauer, Royal Caribbean executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, commented on the announcement, "We are delighted to offer Asia vacations that cannot be found anywhere except on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.  Guests of all ages will enjoy the DreamWorks Experience, a wide range of signature Royal Caribbean onboard amenities, and our award-winning entertainment and family programming. Throughout, every member of the staff and crew will deliver our world-renowned friendly and engaging GOLD Anchor Service on an unforgettable Asia vacation."

With the Chinese becoming richer, Royal Caribbean is expecting the booming Asian cruise market to repeat the United States growth rate over the last three decades.

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein commented on the growth the company expects to see, "The number of Asians cruising today is very similar to the number of Americans who were cruising in 1980s. While the markets are not the same, we think that China has terrific potential to grow."

Industry data points to the global cruise market will grow an estimated 4.5 percent, with Asians making up 1.5 million of the total number.  That number looks a lot like how many Americans were cruising 30 years ago, Goldstein said. The number of U.S. voyagers has grown to about 12 million, and Asia accounts for only 6 to 7 percent of the world’s total cruises, he said.

One issue for a company like Royal Caribbean is educating Chinese consumers about cruising but Goldstein feels China will overtake the United Kingdom in two to three years in terms of demand.

The number of Chinese passengers at Royal Caribbean quadrupled to 100,000 last year from 25,000 in 2012 and is expected to double to 200,000 this year, Goldstein said.