A cruise ship operator said Thursday that service between Nagasaki and Shanghai will be suspended indefinitely as long as territorial tensions linger between Japan and China.

HTB Cruise Co. suspended services in October after a sharp fall in reservations caused by the Senkakus dispute.

HTB initially planned to suspend service until March 15, but now the subsidiary of theme park operator Huis Ten Bosch Co. is considering leasing the large ship to other firms or using it for short-distance cruises. The ship is moored in Busan, South Korea.

To cut its losses, the company is hoping to decide on an alternative business plan for the ship by January, an official at the company said.

"We haven't given up on the Shanghai route. We want to wait until the situation with China improves," the official added.