SHANGHAI, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (NASDAQ: CTRP,
"Ctrip" or the "company") and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:
RCL, "RCL") announced today that they are ending the SkySea Cruise
Line joint venture ("SkySea")
in the autumn of 2018. TUI AG's Marella Cruises has agreed to purchase
Golden Era, with delivery expected in December 2018, subject to satisfaction of closing
conditions. Ctrip and RCL currently each own a minority of SkySea,
with the balance owned by SkySea management and a private equity
fund.
SkySea Cruise Line, the first smart contemporary cruise line
specifically developed for the Chinese market, has been operating
SkySea Golden Era since May
2015. By the time of the final voyage, SkySea Cruise Line
will have operated close to 300 cruises and carried nearly 500,000
guests in just over three years.
SkySea Cruise Line will continue operations with the final
voyage to be confirmed in the coming weeks. During this time,
the brand is committed to delivering the same outstanding cruise
vacations to its guests and support to its travel agent partners
and vendors as it has since its inception. SkySea's final
China season will offer exciting
theme cruises and truly memorable experiences for Golden Era
vacationers.
The cruise market in China is
still in early stages but holds big potential. In 2017, there were
less than 3 million cruise passengers in China, which is much less than the over 10
million passengers for the US market. The cruise business on Ctrip
group's platforms generated over 70% revenue growth year-over-year
in 2017. The cruise business will continue to be an essential part
of Ctrip's one-stop platform and the company will continue to work
closely with all the cruise lines in the world, including Royal
Caribbean, to better service the growing number of Chinese cruise
travelers.
Through its Royal Caribbean International brand, RCL will
continue to serve the Chinese market, with the largest fleet
deployment in the region and a strong collaborative relationship
with Ctrip.
About Ctrip.com International, Ltd.
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. is a leading travel service
provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing,
packaged tours, and corporate travel management in China. It is the largest online consolidator
of accommodations and transportation tickets in China in terms of transaction volume. Ctrip
enables business and leisure travelers to make informed and
cost-effective bookings by aggregating comprehensive travel related
information and offering its services through an advanced
transaction and service platform consisting of its mobile apps,
Internet websites and centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer
service center. Ctrip also helps customers book vacation packages
and guided tours. In addition, through its corporate travel
management services, Ctrip helps corporate clients effectively
manage their travel requirements. Since its inception in 1999,
Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the
best-known travel brands in China.
For further information, please contact:
International PR
Ctrip.com International, Ltd.
Tel: (+86) 21 3406 4880 ext 196455
Email: Pr@ctrip.com
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SOURCE Ctrip.com International, Ltd.