In a substantial boost to its China capacity, MSC Cruises is going to deploy one of its biggest ships there in May 2018. MSC Splendida joins the smaller MSC Lirica, adding the MSC Yacht Club concept and butler service to its China offerings.
The 2009-built MSC Splendida, at 137,936gt, will become one of the largest ships operating in the region. The vessel can carry up to 4,363 passengers in 1,637 staterooms. Some 76% of accommodations have balconies.
MSC Splendida will join MSC Lirica, which has been serving—to great success, MSC Cruises said—the Chinese market since May. The ship recently moved to Tianjin to capture the North China market during the winter season.
Announcing the news in Beijing on Wednesday, MSC Cruises ceo Gianni Onorato said the ship has been one of the most popular in the fleet with Chinese and other Asian passengers cruising the Mediterranean with MSC.
MSC Splendida will undergo significant drydock enhancement in late 2017, ahead of the China deployment, to further improve and customize it for the market.
MSC Splendida also introduces the MSC Yacht Club to the Chinese market. This exclusive ‘ship-within-a-ship’ concept offers privacy, 24-hour butler service, a dedicated concierge reception and priority boarding and disembarkation.
The move would appear to be a direct competitive response to Dream Cruises’ new Genting Dream, which also offers a luxury ship-within-a ship concept, Dream Mansion, served by butlers. That vessel is scheduled to be delivered next month. It will operate from Guangzhou (Nansha) in southern China.
MSC Splendida’s itinerary details are to come, but MSC Cruises said the ship will visit destinations in China, Japan and Korea.
The news closely follows the opening of MSC Cruises’ Shanghai office with its new management and operations team.
The latest cruise giant Meyer Werft, the “Genting Dream” has, II leave the covered building dock in Papenburg today in good weather. Meter by meter of the 335 meter long building for the Asian shipping Dream Cruises pushed ahead slowly.
Photo: Tobuas Bruns
Photo: Tobuas Bruns
PAPENBURG. Extensive testing of security systems, mechanical and plant trials and the completion of the interior had determined in the last few weeks the yard everyday. Due to current weather forecasts undocking was still postponed at short notice, but against 14:15 the time had finally come: the “Genting Dream” made her first meters. Supported by 4 tugs they slid stern first slowly toward sunlight. Hundreds of onlookers had gone on Friday afternoon to the Papenburg shipyard basin to ogle the first new construction. special, brightly colored hull paint particularly caught her eye.
The ship made finally fixed at the pier in the shipyard harbor where the installation of the chimney is carried out. On the outfitting of the Meyer Werft the final work and tests are carried out to the ship in the following days. Few days later, the first members of the crew then their cabins reflect on the ship and to become familiar with the ship. Already in mid-September will then begin their Emsüberführung direction Eemshaven, the “Genting Dream”. This is followed by sea trials and the final final outfitting in Bremerhaven before she is expected to be handed over on 12.10.2016 to the shipping company.
Photo: Tobuas Bruns
Photo: Tobuas Bruns
Even the next boat, the “Norwegian Joy ‘that is to follow in the spring of 2017, is making great progress. Already in the morning has a vast 100-meter long swimming part, that was before the “Genting Dream”, also left the building dock. One More was already longer on Werftpier. It had to take place and be hauled. Both sections will now be docked again.
Photo: Tobuas Bruns
Photo: Tobuas Bruns
The “Genting Dream”, or in Chinese also云顶梦, has to have a length of 335 meters, a width of 39.7 meters and a size of 151,300 GT. The client is the Asian shipping Dream Cruises (Hong Kong), which is part of the Genting Group. Also planned for autumn 2017 sistership called “World Dream”.
It will accommodate 3,360 passengers and 2,000 crew members, suggesting a ship for the premium segment. Of the 1,680 cabins, 1,278 are outside cabins. One thing is certain, according to Tan Sri Lim, CEO of the shipping company: “The ship is ready to hold many special features for the Chinese market.” So is the “Genting Dream” have two small deep-sea submarines, each four passengers up to 200 meters depth can convey. Much aboard similar to Breakaway-class of Norwegian Cruise Line, which also belong to Genting.
The top deck of Norwegian Joy will be the home of Serenity Park.
SHANGHAI — David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ China operations, revealed some of the features that will debut on the Norwegian Joy, a ship being built for the Chinese market.
Herrera made the announcement here during a keynote address at Travel Weekly’s CruiseWorld China.
Although Joy is a sister ship to the Escape, it will offer several “first-at-sea” features related to activities, hotel, service and gaming.
Some attractions — a formal tea room and an upper-deck Serenity Park — are what one might expect on a ship built for Chinese guests.
Guests can ride hover craft bumper cars at the Galaxy Pavilion.
But other features would seem to fit ships sailing the Caribbean equally well. The Joy’s highest-profile attraction, literally, will be a two-level race track on the top decks in which 10 guests in electric carts will compete in a 5-6 minute race. (NCL is in discussion with possible partners whose logos would adorn the cars, Herrera said.)
Autos are also front-and-center in a Formula 1 attraction. Race cars have been converted into individual three-screen simulators displaying famous race tracks from around the world.
Deck 16 activities will include Oculus virtual reality technology in several variations, including walking a plank between buildings, hang gliding and a design-your-own roller coaster module.
Oculus technology will be installed on additional new ships going forward, Herrera said.
Motion simulation will be the attraction in a colorful fleet of Star Wars Battle Pods.
The Haven’s observation deck will have views “as good as the captain’s.”
Laser tag, a giant touch screen for young children, hovercraft bumper cars, wider-than-ever waterslides with transparent panels that go over the side of the ship and several karaoke rooms complete the new activities offerings.
On the hotel side, a new level called Concierge will be built above the Haven. It will not be as luxurious as the Haven but will have unique features, including a new suite class with two bedrooms and a simulated balcony.
Both the Haven and Concierge will have observation decks whose views, Herrera said, are “as good as the captain’s.”
The ship will feature many more family friendly suites and rooms with connecting doors than on any previous NCL ship, Herrera said. He added that the new room configurations reflect the Chinese tendency to travel with multiple generations.
Studio cabins for singles, a feature of every NCL ship since the Epic, will not be on the Joy.
A bathroom in a Concierge suite.
The ship will, however, feature the highest crew-to-passenger ratio of any contemporary-class ship, in part because it will carry 250 fewer passengers than the Escape. (Herrera said that additional staff was also hired.) The space occupied by some cabins that had been on the Escape has been given to the casino and shopping areas.
The 29 restaurants onboard will include one for Korean barbecue as well as a Japanese shabu-shabu restaurant. Herrera declined to say how many of the restaurants will be specialty dining requiring a surcharge.
“It’s about bringing best of east and west together,” Herrera said, summing up all the changes.
More details will be announced in the coming months, he added, including the names of luxury store brands.
A Concierge suite bedroom.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ executive vice president for international development, Harry Sommer, said that the Chinese operation has renamed itself from “Norway Cruise Line,” as it was known in China, to three characters which phonetically sound like “Norwegian” but which translate to “promising, exclusive and authentic.”
The characters for the word “Joy” represent “Inner Joy,” Sommer said.
The Norwegian Joy is due to enter service in summer 2017.
Wetravel2u's Weblog 