Unnamed newbuild will be the first year-round international ship to be built for Chinese guests
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Princess Cruises’ latest newbuild is to homeport year-round in Shanghai, China, when she launches in summer 2017.
Currently under construction at the Fincantieri yard in Italy, the as-yet-unnamed ship will be the first year-round international vessel to be designed and built specifically for Chinese guests.
“Deploying our next new ship in China underscores our strong commitment to growing the China cruise market and providing discerning travellers with amazing vacation experiences at sea,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.
Able to accommodate around 3,600 guests, the newbuild will offer many of the features available on Royal Princess and Regal Princess, which were launched in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
These features include a multi-storey atrium; the Princess Live! interactive studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; the private Chef’s Table Lumiere dining experience; the Princess Watercolor Fantasy fountain and music show; Movies Under the Stars; and the SeaWalk, a cantilevered, glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28ft beyond the edge of the vessel. Accommodation will be configured to suit families and multi-generational travellers, while all outside staterooms will have balconies.
In addition, the newbuild will have a number of new innovations tailored for the Chinese market. For example, it will offer the exclusive Princess Class experience, which enables guests to participate in cultural, culinary and entertainment programmes including the World Leaders Dinner, traditional English afternoon tea, a Lobster Grill, Ultimate Balcony Dining, an ocean-view hotpot dinner option, ballroom dancing and duty-free shopping.
Guests will also be able to sample traditional cuisine from China, Japan, Italy, France and North and South America, while the line will recreate various international festivals onboard the ship to celebrate cultures around the world.
Further design details and planned itineraries will be released in the coming months.
“As this ship is still in the design phase we are looking forward to creating other new and exciting venues and experiences catering to the Chinese vacationer, which we will reveal in the coming months,” said Swartz.