Century Cruises has been honoured with two top titles by voters at the World Cruise Awards - scooping prizes for Asia’s Best River Cruise Line and Asia’s Best River Cruise Ship.

Here Breaking Travel News speaks to Richard Xie, deputy general manager of the line, to find out how it feels to have taken the prestigious honours.

Breaking Travel News: How does it feel to have been recognised by voters from around the world?

Richard Xie: We deeply appreciate the votes and complete acknowledgment that voters from all over the world have placed on Century Cruises.

It’s such an honour to be elected as Asia’s Best River Cruise Line, and for Century Glory to take the title of Asia’s Best River Cruise Ship.

As the winner of the first World Cruise Awards, Century Cruises would definitely remain on-going input and investment in the river cruises industry worldwide and present more and better river cruise products to repay our voters.

BTN: How will Century Cruises be using the title to promote the company as we move into 2022?

RX: River cruise is always the best access to a destination’s heart or a country’s hinterland from where an ancient and splendid civilisation is originated.

Cruising the Yangtze is an unparalleled way to explore and discover China’s various cultures and mysterious beauty.

Century Cruises is a leading river cruise line on the Yangtze.

Furthermore, being the winner of the first World Cruise Awards, we would like to take this opportunity to promote Century Cruises to the worldwide river cruise market, such as European river cruise market and Mississippi river cruise market which are always Century’s long-term strategic development aim.

We believe the awards would obviously speed up our on-going marketing campaign.

Of course, it would also help with our basis trip of the Yangtze where Century has already tried on some different itineraries and routes since the second half of 2020, such as Yangtze Adventure, Yangtze Discovery and Yangtze Panorama.

BTN: How would you describe the mood in the Chinese domestic tourism market currently – is the recovery underway from the Covid-19 pandemic?

RX: Our current booking state has been rising dramatically since early this year, attributed to China’s rigorous controlling protocols on the Covid-19.

We noted that domestic travel has been booming as well in many other countries.

Undoubtedly, travel is human nature and people are destined to travel.

Under the current pandemic situation, therefore, people prefer to travel close to home indeed.

In early June last year, a huge MICE group of around 4,000 people chartered all departures of Century Cruises in 21 days for their themed event celebration.

Clients are very satisfied with the entire operation and services provided by Century Cruises. 

We’re now talking to the same clientele for another mega chartering of around 7,000+ in the coming year of 2022.

Though the variants surge up and down in some places around the world, it is believed that we’ve been through the darkest moment and see a slight light at the end of the tunnel.

More Information

Find out more about Century Cruises on the official website.