impactasia was presented with an interesting challenge when cruise liners Crystal Cruises and MSC Cruises approached them for support in Hong Kong.  Cruising was not a luxury travel experience the Asia market was particularly familiar with, and promoting these brands required education, awareness building, and the rolling up of media savvy sleeves to drive this outbound market. 

Starting in 2008, impactasia was appointed to handle Crystal Cruises’ public relations in the Hong Kong region to launch the famous Nobu Matsuhisa restaurants – Silk road and The Sushi Bar onboard Crystal Symphony.

impactasia has also hosted some of the region’s top media on Crystal Cruises’ ships when they’ve come through Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai ports. Over HK$1 million of editorial coverage was generated in just 3 months time during the second half of 2009, a testament to the brand’s local and regional reputation.

Crystal Cruises has been voted “World’s Best” by the readers of Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler more than any other cruise line, hotel or resort in history.

MSC Cruises appointed impactasia for PR activities in Hong Kong in 2007, and as the cruise liner didn't have any Asia routing, the PR programme had an outbound focus on educating Hong Kong about the unique offerings of this Italian operator.  With the arrangements of several media trips and numerous individual media requests, as well as working with the client to create unique theme cruises, impactasia was able to make MSC Cruises a household name for leisure travellers looking for a discerning voyage in Europe.

With its upcoming North America routing, MSC Cruises has extended impactasia's service into China – to extend the pow experience attained in Hong Kong to a big wow in media outreach in Mainland China!