Royal Caribbean moving large cruise ship Voyager to China

Royal Caribbean today announced it would move the large ship Voyager of the Seas to China for the summer of 2012.

 

 

Voyager of the Seas is a 138,000-ton, 3,114-passenger vessel, which currently spends its summers in Europe. It is one of the world's largest cruise ships and twice the size of any other passenger vessel operating regularly out of China.

 

 

 

Royal Caribbean says Voyager of the Seas will move to Shanghai in June 2012 for a series of four- to 10-night sailings out of the city. The voyages will include stops in Fukuoka and Kobe in Japan; and Busan and Jeju in Korea, and continue through October 2012, when the vessel will depart for a season of voyages out of Sydney, Australia.

 

 

 

Voyager of the Seas also will sail a short series of cruises out of Singapore in May, 2012, before arriving in Shanghai.

 

 

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein said in a statement about the move; "There are clear opportunities in the China market".  He called the country "a key area for Royal Caribbean International's global development."

 

 

The new sailings out of Shanghai will be aimed heavily at Chinese vacationers, a fast-growing market, but also will be designed to attract vacationers from around the world who want to see Asia, the line says.

 

 

Royal Caribbean had previously announced that Voyager of the Seas would spend the summer of 2012 in the Mediterranean sailing out of Venice, as it is doing this year -- one of a record 12 ships the line had planned to send to Europe in 2012. The line still will have 12 ships in Europe in 2012; there is a possibility that another Royal Caribbean ship will be taking Voyager's place in Europe.

 

 

 

In moving to China, the Voyager of the Seas will be joining Royal Caribbean's much smaller, 1,804-passenger Legend of the Seas, which has been sailing out of the country seasonally for three years. The Legend of the Seas will return to China for a fourth season starting in March 2012, giving the line two ships in the country.

 

 

 

Royal Caribbean says plans are in the works for both ships to offer a wider variety of on-board products tailored to Chinese guests, including more Chinese language services, authentic Chinese food and culturally appropriate recreational activities and duty-free items.