Movies under the stars on Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Beijing's first auto train ready to serve

Luxury hotel in an ex-warship, Tianjin

They are safe, easy and family friendly, no wonder growing numbers of people are spending their vacations on a cruise ship. Zhou Wenting goes aboard.

Imagine spending a holiday in a place where your every whim is catered for, where the sun and the ocean are on your doorstep and delicious food is served around the clock. You can go shopping in stores that have rock bottom prices, and if you grow tired of all the pampering, your bed is available anytime. You can travel with the whole family too, because there are activities tailored to suit all age groups.

A vacation on an elegant cruise liner will meet the desire for an exotic experience, but will also be an enjoyable travel experience when accompanied by young children or elderly parents.

Family-friendly, safe and secure, cruise vacations have become very popular in China. During the upcoming National Day Golden Week holiday, from Oct 1 to Oct 7, many families will board a ship to enjoy an exciting holiday at sea.

The development of the cruise industry in recent years has been impressive. Statistics from the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association show Chinese residents made 1.4 million trips on cruise liners last year, compared with nearly 10,000 in 2006. The association predicts the market will continue to boom in the next two years.

Residents of Shanghai, the city that boasts the largest cruise ports of the four on the Chinese mainland, are more likely to book cruises than people in other parts of the country, according to a report published by Baidu Inc's travel website Qunar.com last year. Tourists from Shanghai are also willing to spend more, many paying 4,000 yuan ($652) to 6,000 yuan, to take a cruise.