Ctrip has commented that they are “open to various options” when it comes to acquiring cruise ships, but would not comment on a specific plan, they said in a statement to Cruise Industry News.

Ctrip is a major online Chinese travel agency which says it sells 10 percent of all cruise tickets going to Chinese passengers. In July, various sources suggested the company would be soon acquiring a 2,000-passenger ship.

For a full in-depth picture of the Chinese cruise market, see the upcoming edition of the Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine (Autumn edition), due out October 15.

The ninth edition of the China Cruise Shipping and Cruise International Expo is the Asia/Pacific’s No. 1 cruise event, learn more at http://www.ccyia.com/ccs/EN/index.htm. The show takes place Oct. 15-17 in Tianjin, China.

Visit Cruise Industry News, the official event media sponsor and partner, at booth B31.