An aerial drone photo taken on April 6, 2025 shows Adora Magic City berthing at the Qingdao International Cruise Terminal in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

China's cruise ship operator Adora Cruises announced on Friday that it will diversify the first-quarter 2026 itineraries of its Adora Magic City - China's domestically-built cruise - and Adora Mediterranea, focusing on popular destinations in South Korea and Southeast Asia, according to a statement sent to the Global Times.

The Adora Magic City will continue to operate from Shanghai as its homeport, offering multiple 5-day/4-night and 6-day/5-night international cruises, visiting classic destinations such as South Korea's Jeju, Busan, and Seoul. Adora Mediterranea will operate from Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, as its homeport, with several 5-day/4-night and 6-day/5-night itineraries to Vietnam's top destinations, including Da Nang, Halong Bay, and Hue. 

Additionally, Adora Mediterranea will offer medium- and long-haul itineraries covering popular destinations in Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, providing guests from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with a rich variety of cruise vacation options, according to the statement. 

The Adora Mediterranea, which was chartered by travel agencies, had 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 November 19.

Following the cancellation, the Chinese cruise ship has rerouted its November 21 voyage to the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa, Japan, to Hue, Vietnam, the cruise operator's customer service confirmed the change to the Global Times on November 23 when asked to verify a change in the voyage plan that surfaced on a Chinese social media outlet.  

Regarding the itinerary change, the cruise ships' operator noted that they are prioritizing passenger and crew safety, monitoring the situation, following government policies, and adjusting the itinerary according to customer needs.

Global Times