Company will base two cruise ships and establish a new cruise-related business in Shanghai
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Genting Hong Kong is to base two cruise ships and establish a new cruise-related business in Shanghai, China as part of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) it has signed with the Baoshan District Government.
According to the MoU, Genting Cruise Lines’ brand Dream Cruises will deploy its newest ship – the 1,870-passenger Explorer Dream – in Shanghai from April 2019 to offer more itineraries for East China market. Explorer Dream will sail voyages to destinations in Russia and Japan.
Dream Cruises’ new Global Class ship, which is currently being constructed at Genting’s MV Werften shipyard in Germany, will also make Shanghai her first homeport when she launches in 2021.
Set to be the largest ship in the Asia Pacific region, the 5,000-guest newbuild has been designed specifically for the Chinese cruise market. She will feature a cineplex, a theme park, an Asian spa, multiple authentic Asian dining experiences and luxury retail boutiques. Guests will also benefit from artificial intelligence-powered facial and voice recognition services and digital technologies, while automated robots will perform everyday tasks to enable crew to focus on serving customers.
To further support the cruise development in Shanghai, we are excited to deploy our upcoming Global Class ship to Shanghai in early 2021,” said Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines. “Designed for the Asian market, the new ship will feature advanced technology, innovative itineraries and provide products to meet the needs of our Chinese guests – helping the Shanghai cruise industry reach new heights.”
Genting Cruise Lines also plans to establish a cruise-related company in the Baoshan district.
“Genting Cruise Lines through its roster of brands – Star Cruises, Dream Cruises and Crystal Cruises – has led the development of the cruise industry in the Asia Pacific and China for the past 25 years,” said Zhu. “As the most popular cruise port in China and the fourth largest in the world, we value Shanghai as one of our strategic homeports and remain confident of the cruise market in the city.”