Royal Caribbean International, in a bid to capture more of the potentially lucrative Chinese cruise market, said it would base Voyager of the Seas in China during the month of June in 2012. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Shanghai International Conference Center in China before an audience of 300 travel agents and media partners. Michael Bayley, executive vice president-international for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Dr. Zinan Liu, group managing director for China and Asia, unveiled plans for Royal Caribbean to have the 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas sail a series of cruises from Shanghai next year. The ship will feature a wide variety of itineraries, ranging from four nights to 10 nights. Royal Caribbean said the move is designed to offer exciting new cruise experiences to Chinese vacationers, as well as attract cruise guests from around the world to visit China and sail around Asia. “Customer demand for our brand has been very strong in China,” said Bayley, “We are excited to be able to bring such an innovative ship to the China market in 2012.”
“This is a major step forward for the cruise industry in China. We will continue working with the Chinese ports and our travel partners to further develop the country’s overall cruise economy,” said Zinan. “Along with Michael Bayley, we’ve been meeting with various agencies and officials on playing an active role in the development of home ports for international cruise ships. There’s also the need to build necessary support facilities, including bonded warehouses and distribution centers. Our aim is to support cities like Shanghai, Tianjin, Hong Kong and Xiamen, to grow into world class cruise tourist destinations.” Royal Caribbean said Voyager of the Seas will be double the size of any cruise ship operating in China or the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. The ship displaces 150,000 gross registered tons, spans 11 guest decks and has 1,556 staterooms. After Shanghai, Voyager of the Seas will offer a variety of sailings to ports in Japan and Korea until August, including Fukuoka and Kobe in Japan, and Busan and Jeju in Korea. The ship will depart for Sydney, Australia in October.
Royal Caribbean said because of the significance of the growing Chinese cruise market and desire to sail with Royal Caribbean International, Legend of the Seas also will return to Shanghai in March 2012 for its fourth season. For the two ships, work is underway to offer a wider variety of tailored onboard products to Chinese guests, including more Chinese language services, authentic Chinese food and culturally appropriate recreational activities and duty-free items. When Voyager of the Seas sails into Shanghai in June 2012, it will introduce several unique concepts never before seen at sea in Asia, including the Royal Promenade, an indoor “main street” stretching nearly the full length of the middle of the ship; “Studio B” Ice Rink, an ice skating rink for guests that doubles as a 700-seat venue for ice show productions; 11 dining venues, including specialty restaurant “Portofino” for classic Italian fine dining, ’50s inspired American diner “Johnny Rockets,” and the three-story, 1,919-seat main dining room. The ship also features an Inline skating track, Royal Caribbean’s signature rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole mini golf course, a golf simulator, a full size sports court with basketball court, three swimming pools and six whirlpools.
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