This picture taken on February 24 shows the Diamond Princess docking at the Daikoku pier cruise terminal in Yokohama port, Japan. Photo: AFP

China moved to halt international cruise ships departing from its ports, covering 10 cruises of seven companies across the world, because many of the luxury cruises have been caught by the spreading coronavirus. 

The country also suspended passenger cruises with Japan and South Korea, Yang Xinzhai, deputy head of the Maritime Safety Administration, said at a press briefing on Monday.

The outbreak of the coronavirus on the Diamond Princess and its sister boat the Grand Princess - both operated by US-based Princess Cruises - thrust cruise ships into the global spotlight.

Yang said cruise ships' large passenger capacity, along with connected water-disposal systems, makes it easier for the spread of the virus. It's also hard for passengers to get access to medical treatment while the ship is at sea, he said.

On January 25, about 17 passengers were found to have fevers on a vessel of Italian cruise operator Costa Cruises that approached North China's Tianjin, media reports said. 

According to Yang, the incident has been properly dealt with under coordination among the local government, customs officials and the immigration department.

Costa Cruises told the Global Times on Monday that its ships setting out from the Chinese mainland were suspended from January 25 until the end of March. It declined to quantify losses.

But the industry undoubtedly took a heavy hit from the epidemic. Wang Younong, president of Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal Corp, said at a conference held by the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA) on February 20 that about 90 cruise voyages departing from the terminal had been canceled, accounting for one-third of annual total.

US-listed Carnival Corp's shares slumped 21.5 percent in premarket trading on Monday and Royal Caribbean Cruises slid 18 percent.

Huang Yumin, president of Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Home Port, said at the CCYIA conference that the industry's concerns are the uncertainties brought about by the coronavirus as well as tourists' confidence in the industry in the wake of the epidemic.

Huang said more attention will be paid to passenger capacity, air-conditioning systems and appropriate public space during the construction of cruise ships in the future and ports will focus more on health and emergency management.