As China's middle class continues to grow, so too does its appetite for taking a short vacation on the ocean waves, reports Shi Jing in Shanghai.

The surging growth of the Chinese cruise industry, in what is a remarkably short time, has attracted not only a rising number of local companies, but also interest from global industry leaders who are expressing their full confidence in the sector continuing to burgeon.

It was only in late 2012 that HNA Tourism Cruise and Yacht Management Co Ltd was created to become the first of its kind in the Chinese mainland. It now owns the largest cruise ship operating in the country.