Tag Archives: Chinese cruise market

Royal Caribbean reveals Ovation of the Seas’ panda sculpture

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Royal Caribbean panda sculpture

Royal Caribbean has released details of the art collection on board its newest ship, Ovation of the Seas, with “Mama and Baby” – a 33-feet high commission that depicts a mother panda and her cub reaching out to one another.

The pandas are also a nod to the cruise line’s newly announced partnership with World Wildlife Fund, which focuses on ensuring the long-term health of the oceans.

The ship’s crew will have the honour of naming the pandas when the ship sets sail, a custom for Royal Caribbean crew members as done for its sister ships’ installations – Quantum of the Seas’ Felicia the Bear and Anthem of the Seas’ Gigi the Giraffe.

Guests on board Ovation of the Seas can enjoy an 11,000-piece, $4.5m (£3.1m) art collection that was assembled to represent the ship’s destinations and its guests.

Other pieces include: “Sky Wave”, the first ever kinetic moving sculpture at sea, commissioned specifically for Ovation of the Seas; elevator art “The World of the Senses,” a collection of 10 pieces sure to surprise guests each time they ride from deck to deck; and an adaptation of Chinese artist Bieli Liu’s “Lure” series of installations, an energetic piece that responds to subtle air currents and movement.

Ovation of the Seas will sail three European itineraries before embarking on her 52-day Global Odyssey on 3 May.

Majestic Princess: Princess Cruises names new €600 million ship designed for Chinese

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Majestic Princess will be based in China

Majestic Princess will begin sailing to Japan and South Korea from its homeport of Shanghai in summer 2017

Princess Cruises’ newest ship, launching in summer 2017, will be called Majestic Princess. The 3,560-passenger vessel is the third “Royal Class” ship for the cruise line and has been designed with Chinese passengers in mind.

The ship will carry a Chinese name on the hull, 盛世公主号 (Shèng Shì Gōng Zhǔ Haò) – chosen by Carnival plc’s China employees and interpreted as “Grand World” or “Grand Spirit.”

“We’re excited to be the first line to offer a genuine premium cruise option to Chinese vacationers,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

“[Majestic Princess] represents our brand’s long-term commitment to the continuing growth of the China market.”

T’ai chi at sea, ballroom dancing, subtitled Hollywood movies, Chinese satellite TV channels and a souped-up designer shopping experience are among the “Princess Class” experiences being rolled out to the Chinese market. Priority will be placed on food, amenities and shopping. In addition to the 24-hour buffet at sea, a wide variety of traditional Chinese dishes will also be offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The rapidly expanding Chinese cruise market has seen a parade of international ships moving to China. MSC Cruises announced last month that it will deploy its 1,976-passenger MSC Lirica to Shanghai, while Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas sails from Shanghai. Following its launch in China next April Ovation of the Seas will sail from Tianjin.

China has the potential to deliver 83 million cruise passengers a year according to a recent study by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

• China plots domination of the global cruise market

Princess ships began homeport cruising in China in 2014 with an inaugural season of Shanghai-based cruises aboard Sapphire Princess, which visited cities including Seoul (Incheon), Busan and Jeju Island in South Korea and Fukuoka (Hakata), Kagoshima, Okinawa and Nagasaki in Japan. Majestic Princess will be based in China year round and will begin sailing to Japan and South Korea (ports not yet confirmed) from Shanghai in summer 2017.

Weighing in at 143,000 grt and with a build cost of €600 million Majestic Princess is being built at the Italian shipyard Fincantieri, where P&O Cruises’ Britannia, Princess’s Royal and Regal Princess and Carnival Magic were built.