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

Following a client-requested cancellation of its stop at Japan's Miyakojima Island, the Chinese cruise ship Adora Mediterranea has rerouted its December 21 voyage from Japan to Vietnam, a staff member of the cruise operator's customer service told the Global Times on Sunday.

When asked to verify a change in the voyage plan that surfaced on a Chinese social media outlet, which suggested that the vessel would change its December 21 voyage destination from the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa, Japan, to Hue, Vietnam, the cruise operator's customer service confirmed the change to the Global Times.

This is a chartered cruise, starting from Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, the person said, adding that "we always prioritize the safety of passengers and crew."

The change came after the Adora Mediterranea, with a capacity of 2,680 passengers, abandoned its planned docking at a port in Miyakojima, Japan, scheduled for the morning of November 20, and canceled passenger disembarkation.

A PR representative of the ship's operator Adora Cruises referred to the Global Times its earlier statement, in which the company said "it will comprehensively assess operating conditions and make adjustments to the itinerary as needed based on customer feedback and needs."

Days earlier, the ship, which was chartered by travel agencies, has abandoned its planned docking at a port in Miyakojima, scheduled for Thursday morning, and has canceled passenger disembarkation, 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.

The rerouting came as China has firmly responded to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan region.

On November 16, 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 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.