By
Rebecca Gibson |
Princess Cruises’ Princess Sapphire has arrived in Shanghai, marking the first time the line has homeported in China.
During the four-month season, which will end in August, Sapphire Princess will carry around 70,000 guests on 24 cruises. Ranging from three- to five-days, the itineraries include calls in the South Korean cities of Seoul (Incheon), Busan and Jeju Island, as well as Fukuoka (Hakata), Kagoshima, Okinawa and Nagasaki in Japan.
“We’re excited to be the first line to offer a genuine premium cruise option to Chinese vacationers,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. “We know that they are discerning travellers and have a great desire to explore and learn through travel and unique experiences. We’re well-positioned to provide this to them onboard Sapphire Princess.”
To cater for the demands of Chinese travellers, Princess conducted extensive research into what they value in a holiday, such as cuisine, amenities, an exceptional shopping experience and service in their own language.
As a result the line created the Princess Class experience, which aims to augment the line’s signature international offerings with unique cultural, culinary and entertainment programmes.
Special features include the World Leaders Dinner, Tai Chi at sea, ballroom dancing, Ocean View Hot Pot dinner option, ‘Princess Night’ stateroom amenities, a large selection of subtitled Hollywood movies, a variety of Chinese satellite TV channels, and an enhanced shipping experience. In addition to the only 24-hour buffet at sea in China, the ship will offer a wide variety of traditional Chinese dishes and a Chinese-speaking crew.
Designed to appeal to multigenerational groups, the ship also has a ‘Touch of Class’ enrichment series, which includes the Sommelier Wine Excursion, Adventures in English and The Art of International Entertaining. There is also a class on Mixology: The Art of the Cocktail, among other topics.
“Princess Cruises has blazed many trails in the cruise industry, continuously evolving to meet the needs of today’s vacationers and we’re doing so in the China market as well,” said Cherry Wang, Carnival plc country director for China. “The innovations we’ve developed for our first cruise season here are behind the already promising demand for our Shanghai-based voyages. A place on Sapphire Princess is this summer’s hot travel ticket.”
The 116,000 gt Sapphire Princess carries 2,670 guests and has 28 premium suites, while more than half of its staterooms feature private balconies. The ship also has five pools, a casino, duty-free shops, a fitness centre and spa, a sports deck, children’s and teen’s centres, a library, an internet café, an art gallery and a golf putting course, among other features.