The Chinese cruise ship Adora Mediterranea seen in this file photo off the coast of Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on September 14, 2025. Photo: VCG

The Chinese cruise ship Adora Mediterranea, which was chartered by travel agencies, has cancelled a planned stop at Miyakojima Island in Okinawa, Japan, at the request of the clients, the ship's operator Adora Cruises told the Global Times on Wednesday night.

"We always prioritize the safety of passengers and crew. We are closely monitoring the relevant situation and will strictly adhere to the relevant policies of the government authorities. Based on customer feedback and needs, we will comprehensively assess operating conditions and make adjustments to the itinerary as needed," Adora Cruises said in a statement sent to the Global Times. 

The statement came after Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reported on Wednesday that Adora Mediterranea has abandoned its planned docking at a port in Miyakojima, scheduled for Thursday morning, and has canceled passenger disembarkation.

The cruise ship will remain anchored in the port and depart for China during the daytime of Thursday, according to the Kyodo News' report, which cited customs officials in Okinawa.

With a capacity of 2,680 passengers, the cruise ship departed from Xiamen Port in East China's Fujian Province on Tuesday. The original plan was to disembark passengers at the port on Thursday and then sail away from the port back to Xiamen, according to the report.

According to customs officials, when the cruise ship arrived at Naha Port on November 16, a crew member told the shipping agent that "(the Japan-China tensions) should have an impact," the Kyodo News reported. The report added that while the cruise had plans to make several stops at Naha Port and Ishigaki Port before the end of December, in addition to the port in Miyakojima, there may be cancellations in the future. 

This reported move comes as China has firmly responded to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan region. 

On Sunday, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, citing security concerns. In a statement published on its official website, the ministry cited the travel advisory issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which referred to a deteriorating security environment for Chinese citizens in Japan as well as recent provocative remarks made by the Japanese leader regarding China's Taiwan, Xinhua reported. 

The statement advised Chinese tourists to avoid traveling to Japan at this time and recommended that those already in Japan closely monitor the local security situation, heighten safety awareness, strengthen self-protection, and promptly contact local police or the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan to seek assistance in case of emergency, according to Xinhua. 

Global Times