A luxury US cruise ship has removed Shanghai from its itinerary to avoid a newly imposed Chinese port fee targeting American-flagged vessels, reports Caixin.

The Riviera, a 1,250-passenger vessel operated by Oceania Cruises under Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, was scheduled to dock in Shanghai on October 15 after departing Seattle on September 18. Instead, it diverted to Busan, South Korea, to sidestep the new charges.

According to Caixin, the ship would have incurred a fee of around CNY11.67 million (US$1.64 million) under the new policy announced by China's Ministry of Transport on October 14.

The regulation mandates that ships associated with the United States pay a "special port fee" of CNY400 per net ton, rising annually to CNY1,120 per ton by April 2028. The fee applies only at the first Chinese port of call and is capped at five voyages per year per vessel.