Chinese River Cruise Line Enters European Market with Concordia Damen Ship

hull of river cruise ship arriving for outfitting — Hull of the Chinese cruse line's first European river cruise ship arriving at the yard for outfitting (Concordia Damen)

China’s Century Cruises, which calls itself China’s largest local tour operator for inbound travel, will enter the European market. It has ordered a ship from Concordia Damen for delivery in June 2026.

The new cruise ship, which will be named Century Star, is being customized from one of the standard hulls Concordia Damen built on speculation based on its strong belief in the market opportunities. The Dutch shipbuilder, which has a long heritage in inland shipping, entered the cruise segment in 2022, building the vessel Arosa Sena. Last year, it also announced that it was building the first of a new generation of hybrid river cruise ships for a Swiss luxury river cruise operator, and sensing a market opportunity, also decided to build stock hulls.

The hull for the future Century Star recently arrived at Concordia Damen’s yard in Werkendam for fitting out. The standard design is a 135-meter (443-foot) hull designed for 76 passenger cabins and a capacity of 176 passengers.

Concordia Damen highlights that the design will be customized to the client’s specific outfitting preferences. By using the standard hull, Concordia Damen offers a shorter delivery time for the cruise lines. It was developed to provide the basis for a luxury river cruise vessel that will feature hybrid propulsion and a low draft for maneuverability and broader river access. Century highlights that the customized design will blend Asian elegance with European craftsmanship.

The company was started in 1992 and today operates a fleet of luxury river cruise vessels on China’s Yangtze River. It reports over 300,000 Yangtze cruise tourists annually, including 100,000 foreign inbound tourists. The company reports it has a goal of expanding to 12 vessels and will innovate with itinerary upgrades.

The European cruise expansion is being supported by Basel, Switzerland-based United Waterways. The company operates vessels for various brands, handling infrastructure, ship management, and hospitality services.

Pre-pandemic, there was a fast-growing segment of Chinese travelers to Europe. River cruise operator Viking was dedicating ships from its fleet to Chinese travelers. Century looks to leverage its reputation in the Chinese market to capture a portion of the rapidly growing European river cruise market.