Majestic Princess, with a capacity of 3,560 guests, is customized for Chinese tourists. The newly launched ship offers a variety of experiences on board and destinations along the cruise's routes. [Photo provided to China Daily]

And in 2016, the number of outbound cruise passengers from China was a record 2.12 million.

According to Donald, this means that in China, those who travel overseas on cruises account for about 1.6 percent of the country's overall outbound travelers. So, many Chinese tourists still haven't done a cruise yet.

"China is a huge market. Our biggest challenge is working effectively with the distribution system, to help them tap the demand for cruises," he says.

In 1995, Donald cruised with about 50 members of his extended family－the oldest was over 80 and the youngest was 3. It was before he entered the cruise industry.

"Some of them had never traveled outside their home city. All of us had a fantastic time, and at the same time everybody could pursue the things they were interested in. We could do whatever we wanted and still be together," he says.

Speaking about the company's plans for China, he says: "China is the largest outbound market in the world. And we are convinced that it will be the largest cruise market in the world. We just want to be a part of that and a part of making that happen."

In 2015, Carnival formed a joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corp and China Investment Corp to create a Chinese cruise brand.

The joint venture's first ship is expected to be ready in 2023.

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn