 |
| The Legend of the Seas will charter 21 three- to eight-night sailings from Xiamen, Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong over four months. // (c) 2011 Royal Caribbean International. |
Royal Caribbean International has entered into a strategic relationship with the Xiamen Municipal Government and China World Cruises in China that involves CWC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing-based property and theme park developer Shan-Hai-Shu, chartering Legend of the Seas for a total of four months in 2012.
During the four months, Royal Caribbean International will operate and market 21 three- to eight-night sailings from Xiamen, as well as Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong, to ports of call in Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. The inaugural, five-night charter sailing will depart from Hong Kong on March 20, 2012, while the first departure of guests from Xiamen will be on March 26.
The time charter agreement is fully supported by the Xiamen Municipal Government as part of the government's development of Xiamen as the fourth cruise home port for Royal Caribbean International in China, following Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong.
Working with the Xiamen municipal government, Xiamen-based CWC aims to invest around $5 billion in the Xiamen waterfront area and harbor district to develop a "Cruise Homeport City", with a theme park, retail units, luxury hotels, condominiums, as well as a new four-berth cruise terminal. Xiamen is located between Shanghai and Hong Kong, is less than 200 miles from Taipei, Taiwan, and is one of the fastest growing ports along the Chinese coast.
Legend of the Seas is an award-winning, 1,804 double occupancy ship that has been operating in Asia, out of Singapore since 2008 and out of Shanghai since 2010. At 63,130 gross registered tons, the ship features:
• 11 guest decks
• 902 staterooms
• An array of entertainment and relaxation choices for families and couples
• Complimentary and award-winning Adventure Ocean kids and teen programming
• A nine-meter rock wall and nine-hole miniature golf course
• Broadway-style musical productions
• A fitness center, day spa, lounges, and Solarium indoor pool
• A wide variety of international cuisines, ranging from formal to casual dining styles.
The strategic relationship with the Xiamen municipal government and China World Cruises follows the announcement in June that Royal Caribbean International will deploy the 3,114 double occupancy Voyager of the Seas to China in June 2012. Offering a wide variety of itineraries, ranging from four to eight nights, Voyager of the Seas will double the size of any cruise ship operating in China, and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Spanning 14 passenger decks and with 1,556 staterooms, Voyager of the Seas will start its Asia 2012 season with a sailing from Singapore, followed by itineraries out of Shanghai and Tianjin, to ports including Fukuoka and Kobe in Japan, and Busan and Jeju in Korea until October. Voyager of the Seas will begin 14-night sailings from Sydney, Australia on November 24, 2012 to ports in Australia and New Zealand, while itineraries in early 2013 will include stops in Tasmania and the South Pacific.
For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.