Big ship and cruise festival make a big splash
By Qu Zhi |
June 25, 2013, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
The heaviest cruise ship in Asia, the 138,000-ton Mariner of The Seas from Royal Caribbean International, made a huge splash as it docked at its new home port, the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District.
The docking on June 18 was the grand finale of the of 2013 Shanghai Cruise Travel Festival that began in mid-May.
The festival with thousands of participants attests to the increasing popularity of cruise holidays by Chinese travelers.
After two months of renovation costing US$20 million, the Mariner of the Seas sailed in April from the United State of Texas to Shanghai.
The 15-deck super luxury liner is the newest and heaviest in Asia. It has 17 bars, cafes and lounges. It can accommodate 3,807 passengers in a floating city.
The hub of the vessel is the Royal Promenade, considered a design marvel of Royal Caribbean. It is two football fields in length and four decks high. It is a combination district and central socializing area, one of a number of spacious public areas.
It is also Asia's largest floating shopping arcade, offering jewelry, fashion and luxury brands.
The vessel contains an elegant Champagne bar, ice cream parlor, 24-hour cafe, cozy English pub and wine bar.
There is Wifi throughout the liner.
For recreation, travelers can climb a rock wall overlooking the ocean, enjoy Broadway-style entertainment in the main theater, go ice skating, dance the night away in clubs, and get pampered at spas.
At the stern, the immense and sumptuous dining room has a European grandeur and offers an exceptional culinary experience. It contains three levels and a large, open central area with a crystal chandelier, formal staircase and balcony from which a piano trio performs.
Throughout the cruise liner, menus offer Italian, Asian, steak house, buffet and American food including burgers, fries and shakes.
Staterooms are comfortable and well appointed, with a sitting area, vanity, TV and minibar. Around half the rooms offer private verandas.
For children and young people, the Adventure Ocean center on Deck 12 offers activities for various age groups. Two teens spaces offer disco and a chill-out space. There's a teen-only sunbathing deck and outdoor dance floor.
From June to October, 19 lines of this Mariner of three to nine nights will set sail from Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. South Korea is the main destination.
Prices are affordable. During a cruise products promotion fair that ended June 2, most major travel agencies offered packages for "virgin" cruises.
Some of the packages are still availed.
Luxury cruises are offered by Royal Caribbean International and Costa Cruise. In addition to South Korea and Taiwan island, the liners go to Alaska's Glacier Bay and California.
The Mariner of The Seas has a "buy one get one free" promotion for a standard balcony room for a cruise to South Korea's Cheju Island for four days.
During the festival, around 20,000 tickets for 10,000 cabins had been sold, according to Wang Younong, deputy director of the Shanghai Baoshan Binjiang Development and Construction Management Commission.
From May 23 to June 18 during the festival, more than 13 vessels docked at Wusongkou terminal, an 18.2-percent increase over last year. Around 60,000 tourists were received, an increase of 17.7 percent over last year.
The terminal became Asia's busiest cruise liner terminal.
In 2012, many super-sized vessels docked at Wusongkou. Shanghai was named a national pilot zone for China's cruise tourism development.
The year 2013 is China's "year of cruise travel."
This year, Wusongkou terminal is the home port for four mega international cruise liners of Asian lines. It is expected to accommodate 120 port calls, double the record in 2012.
During the 2013 World Travel Fair in May in Shanghai, sales of cruise "products" totaled 2.53 million yuan (US$412,557), representing 18 percent of all sales.
The 2013 Shanghai Cruise Travel Festival gives people the chance to get closer to cruise travel and culture. "They can experience the real fun of this style of travel," says Wang.
"The first cruise-themed festival is a good beginning and it breaks the ice. I think we are going to do it every year to make the Cruise Travel Festival unique and improve the cruise economy in Shanghai."
The docking on June 18 was the grand finale of the of 2013 Shanghai Cruise Travel Festival that began in mid-May.
The festival with thousands of participants attests to the increasing popularity of cruise holidays by Chinese travelers.
After two months of renovation costing US$20 million, the Mariner of the Seas sailed in April from the United State of Texas to Shanghai.
The 15-deck super luxury liner is the newest and heaviest in Asia. It has 17 bars, cafes and lounges. It can accommodate 3,807 passengers in a floating city.
The hub of the vessel is the Royal Promenade, considered a design marvel of Royal Caribbean. It is two football fields in length and four decks high. It is a combination district and central socializing area, one of a number of spacious public areas.
It is also Asia's largest floating shopping arcade, offering jewelry, fashion and luxury brands.
The vessel contains an elegant Champagne bar, ice cream parlor, 24-hour cafe, cozy English pub and wine bar.
There is Wifi throughout the liner.
For recreation, travelers can climb a rock wall overlooking the ocean, enjoy Broadway-style entertainment in the main theater, go ice skating, dance the night away in clubs, and get pampered at spas.
At the stern, the immense and sumptuous dining room has a European grandeur and offers an exceptional culinary experience. It contains three levels and a large, open central area with a crystal chandelier, formal staircase and balcony from which a piano trio performs.
Throughout the cruise liner, menus offer Italian, Asian, steak house, buffet and American food including burgers, fries and shakes.
Staterooms are comfortable and well appointed, with a sitting area, vanity, TV and minibar. Around half the rooms offer private verandas.
For children and young people, the Adventure Ocean center on Deck 12 offers activities for various age groups. Two teens spaces offer disco and a chill-out space. There's a teen-only sunbathing deck and outdoor dance floor.
From June to October, 19 lines of this Mariner of three to nine nights will set sail from Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. South Korea is the main destination.
Prices are affordable. During a cruise products promotion fair that ended June 2, most major travel agencies offered packages for "virgin" cruises.
Some of the packages are still availed.
Luxury cruises are offered by Royal Caribbean International and Costa Cruise. In addition to South Korea and Taiwan island, the liners go to Alaska's Glacier Bay and California.
The Mariner of The Seas has a "buy one get one free" promotion for a standard balcony room for a cruise to South Korea's Cheju Island for four days.
During the festival, around 20,000 tickets for 10,000 cabins had been sold, according to Wang Younong, deputy director of the Shanghai Baoshan Binjiang Development and Construction Management Commission.
From May 23 to June 18 during the festival, more than 13 vessels docked at Wusongkou terminal, an 18.2-percent increase over last year. Around 60,000 tourists were received, an increase of 17.7 percent over last year.
The terminal became Asia's busiest cruise liner terminal.
In 2012, many super-sized vessels docked at Wusongkou. Shanghai was named a national pilot zone for China's cruise tourism development.
The year 2013 is China's "year of cruise travel."
This year, Wusongkou terminal is the home port for four mega international cruise liners of Asian lines. It is expected to accommodate 120 port calls, double the record in 2012.
During the 2013 World Travel Fair in May in Shanghai, sales of cruise "products" totaled 2.53 million yuan (US$412,557), representing 18 percent of all sales.
The 2013 Shanghai Cruise Travel Festival gives people the chance to get closer to cruise travel and culture. "They can experience the real fun of this style of travel," says Wang.
"The first cruise-themed festival is a good beginning and it breaks the ice. I think we are going to do it every year to make the Cruise Travel Festival unique and improve the cruise economy in Shanghai."
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