Princess Cruises' New Ship To Be Based In China Year Round

Carnival Corporation & plc, the largest cruise company in the world, announced that the new ship currently under construction for Princess Cruises will be based in China year-round when introduced in summer 2017. Based in Shanghai, the ship will be the first year-round international luxury vessel designed and built specifically for Chinese guests.

The as-yet-unnamed ship is being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, and will carry approximately 3,600 guests on a variety of itineraries, to be announced at a later date. Based on the design of its highly-acclaimed ships Royal Princess and Regal Princess, the new vessel will feature a number of new innovations customized for the growing number of Chinese cruise vacationers.

"Deploying our next new ship in China underscores our strong commitment to growing the China cruise market and providing discerning travelers with amazing vacation experiences at sea," said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

Princess ships began home port cruising in China just last year, with a successful inaugural season of Shanghai-based cruises aboard Sapphire Princess. This ship returns for a second China season which begins on June 4 and runs through October 2015.

The ship will be based on the design of the company's new Royal Princess and Regal Princess which have been enthusiastically received by guests from all over the world for their luxurious and beautifully-designed spaces, array of entertainment and activity options, and multiple culinary venues.

The new ship will share many of these special features which include a dramatic multi-story atrium serving as the social hub of the ship; an over-the-ocean SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; the Princess Live! interactive studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef's Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; Princess Watercolor Fantasy, a fountain and music show; Movies Under the Stars featuring the largest outdoor screen at sea; and balconies on all outside staterooms. Accommodations will be configured to appeal to families and multi-generational travelers.
In addition, the new ship will showcase the exclusive Princess Class experience designed specifically for the Chinese market that the company introduced during its first season. Delivered by the ship's dedicated and caring crew, Princess Class enriches the travel experience of each cruise guest, enabling them to participate in unique cultural, culinary, entertaining and inspiring programs including the World Leaders Dinner, traditional English afternoon tea, a Lobster Grill, Ultimate Balcony Dining, an ocean-view hot pot dinner option, ballroom dancing, and an unparalleled duty-free shopping experience.

Additionally guests will enjoy the international flavor of cruising with Princess, including experiencing cuisines from China, Japan, Italy, France, and North and South America among other regions; as well as an array of international festivals re-created to celebrate cultures around the world.

"And as this ship is still in the design phase we are looking forward to creating other new and exciting venues and experiences catering to the Chinese vacationer, which we will reveal in the coming months," Swartz added.

Royal Caribbean To Send Newest, Hottest Ship To China

In a sign of the growing importance of Asia to the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean today announced plans to base its newest, hottest ship in China next year instead of Europe or the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean says the 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas -- its first new vessel in four years -- will permanently reposition to Shanghai in May 2015 following a previously announced inaugural winter season sailing to the Bahamas and the Caribbean out of the New York area. The ship will sail three- to eight-night voyages to Japan and Korea that primarily are aimed at the Chinese market.

"We have been very clear about our intentions to compete on a high level in China," Royal Caribbean Cruises president and COO Adam Goldstein tells USA TODAY in an exclusive interview about the move. "We feel like we have an asset here with Quantum of the Seas that is not really possible for our competitors to match."

 Royal Caribbean Cruises is the parent company of the Royal Caribbean brand and also owns Celebrity Cruises and several smaller lines.

Goldstein says the Chinese market places a high value on new, top-quality products, and Royal Caribbean believes it has a chance to achieve a long-term competitive advantage by taking the "bold step" of dedicating its newest, most-advanced ship to the region. The company has been expanding into China for several years, starting with some of its smallest and oldest vessels but moving recently to newer, larger vessels. The success of the effort is such that "we have decided to use (a ship like Quantum of the Seas) in China maybe a little bit quicker than had been our timetable."

Quantum of the Seas will join two other Royal Caribbean ships currently dedicated at least part of the year to the Chinese market, the 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas and 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas. The addition of Quantum of the Seas will boost the company's capacity in the region by 66%.

The deployment comes as the world's biggest cruise companies increasingly look to Asia for growth. Among other lines shifting capacity to the region are Princess Cruises, which is expanding rapidly in Japan, and Costa Cruises.

"We have been step-by-step building up our presence in Asia in general and the China market in particular ... and it has been (going) very well for us," Goldstein says.

Still, Goldstein makes clear that the Miami-based company, which currently has 21 ships, isn't turning its back on its fans in North America. Quantum is just one of four new Royal Caribbean ship that will debut over the next two years, which will leave plenty of new capacity available for deployments closer to home.

Goldstein said Quantum of the Seas will be replaced in the New York area for the summer of 2015 by the smaller Liberty of the Seas. The 3,634-passenger ship will cruise to Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada/New England from the New York-area port of Bayonne, N.J. through the fall. But come November 2015, the 4,180-passenger Anthem of the Seas -- a sister ship to Quantum of the Seas that debuts in April 2015 -- will take Liberty's place in the New York area, sailing to the Bahamas and Caribbean for the winter of 2015-16.

MORE: Next Royal Caribbean ship to have gee-whiz ride

While Royal Caribbean expects most passengers sailing on Quantum of the Seas out of Shanghai will be from China, the cruises also can be a draw for North Americans, Europeans and other global travelers looking to explore Asia by ship, Goldstein says. While the line will make some minor tweaks to the vessel to cater specifically to the Chinese market, it'll essentially be the same Royal Caribbean product found elsewhere in the world.

Perhaps the biggest difference with Quantum of the Seas' sailings out of Shanghai as compared to Royal Caribbean sailings elsewhere around the globe is that they will be shorter, to appeal to local preferences, Goldstein says.

"We are very happy to have people from around the world traveling to cruise on Quantum of the Seas (out of Shanghai) just as we are happy to have people from around the world cruise on Oasis of the Seas out of Florida," he says.

Currently under construction at a shipyard in Germany, Quantum of the Seas is scheduled to debut in November. By far the most anticipated new ship of the year, it will boast such innovative new features as the first skydiving simulator at sea and a glass capsule on a mechanical arm that will rise high above the ship for bird's-eye views.

Also new on Quantum of the Seas will be Two70, an unusual, multilevel entertainment space with floor-to-ceiling windows that will feature live aerial performances as well as digital performances projected on moving screens.

The first of a new class of vessel at Royal Caribbean, Quantum of the Seas won't be quite as big as the line's much-ballyhooed Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas— the world's largest cruise ships. But it still will rank among the 10 largest passenger vessels in the world and feature all of the signature amenities Royal Caribbean fans have come to love, from a 30-foot-high rock climbing wall to a FlowRider surf simulator to an H20 Zone kids water park. Look inside Oasis of the Seas.

Contributed by Gene Sloan, USA Today.