The cruise industry in Asia has so far been propelled by the fourth largest cruise line in the world, Star Cruises, which was established merely 7 years ago in 1993. It has captured 50% of the cruise market in Asia-Pacific, carrying over 2.4 million passengers over the first 5 years since inception. Reported in the March 2001 issue of Seatrade Cruise Review from information supplied by Christiania Markets Oslo, passenger cruise lines traversing Asian waters had the capacity to carry 1.95M passengers aboard 45 ships in 2000, a 38% increase from the previous year. What this means to Asian port authorities and government tourism agencies, is there are enormous returns in luring inbound cruise passenger arrivals.

The popular ports of call in South and South East Asia are Singapore, Hong Kong, Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Port Kelang in Malaysia, Laem Chabang and Phuket in Thailand, Mumbai, Goa and Cochin in India, islands off Cambodia, Ho Chi Minh City (ex Saigon) in Vietnam and Manila in the Philippines. In North Asia, the favourite ports of call are Tokyo, Fukuoka and Kobe in Japan, Shanghai and Beijing in China.

Ho Chi Minh City recorded a 143% increase from 1999 to 2000 of 130,000 cruise passengers. The swish Singapore Cruise Center attracts over a million cruise passengers each year. Malaysia's Star Cruise Terminal in Pulau Indah (Port Kelang) recorded 145,000 cruise arrivals, of which 25,000 were passengers cruising on international cruise lines and the remaining 120,000, passengers of Star Cruise ships. According to the Hong Kong Tourist Association, there has been a promising increase of about 60% more cruise passengers between 1999 to 2000. For the purposes of comparison, the North American market recorded a total of 6.9 million cruisers in 2000, a 16.8% increase from 1999.

This year has seen some new players offering cruise passengers even more Asia-Pacific programs. Royal Caribbean International with its "Royal Journeys" itinerary offers short segment cruises in the Asia-Pacific region. Indian Ocean Cruise Lines offers coastal cruises sailing ex-Mumbai Port, with future plans to extend itineraries to Myanmar and the Andaman Seas. Star Cruises still has the stronghold in Asia as it dominates the market with cruises in most all popular ports mentioned above, for the exception of India, East Malaysia, Philippines and China. US based Cruise West will be cruising into Asia for the first time, following an acquisition of the former Star Cruises' Megastar Sagittarius. The cruising scene should get even more exciting with the maiden voyage debut of Princess Cruises' Star Princess debuts on her maiden voyage in February 2002.