In the last ten years, the Chinese cruise market has gone through a number of different phases. As an activity which was only approved by the central government in 2006, it initially had a hesitant start. The hopes of American and European companies rapidly increased as a consequence of the observed rates of growth. Following that market test, the sector became a priority and the offer has been improved with the arrival of new companies and a move up market. Admittedly, Chinese customers accounted for 8% of global cruise passengers, becoming the second largest country of origin, but the market is down since 2018. But we can’t conclude that supply and demand are now simply aligned with American or European options and that the Chinese market is today just a new cruising area where those practices observed elsewhere are being replicated. The situation is, in fact, more complex and the cruising sector in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is either characterised by specificities of a political nature or linked to the appropriation of this activity by its customers. The objective of this article is therefore to shed light on the specific logics at work in this market.