Baoshan District News

A Shanghai district government plans to spend about 5 billion yuan ($739.97 million) to develop a cruise ship industrial park to house foreign firms that it hopes will help build China's first luxury passenger vessels, a local official said. China's government has earmarked cruise shipbuilding as a major objective in its "Made in China 2025" programme to upgrade its manufacturing and support jobs at its shipyards, as domestic demand for cruise trips increases 30 percent a year. Firms who set up shop in the new zone could expect financing support from banks and recently established government funds, Lei Shuguang, director on the administrative committee of Shanghai Baoshan Industrial Zone, told Reuters on Wednesday.

Shangai's Baoshan District Committee aims to see the Wusongkou Interational Cruise Terminal become the flagship cruise terminal in China and even in Asia, by proactively connecting to the new Shanghai Free Trade Zone. Ultimately, the developers of the Wusongkou Interational Cruise Terminal, Baoshan District, say they intend to expand the definition of what is meant by 'cruise industry', by making the terminal the pioneer of the cruise industry in China. The Wusongkou Interational Cruise Terminal was approved for trial operation on March 1, 2012.

The largest cruise liner in Asia, 'Mariner of the Seas' docks in new homeport, the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District, Shangai. After two months of renovation costing US$20 million, the Mariner of the Seas sailed in April from the United States to Shanghai., informs Shanghai Daily. From June to October, Mariner of the Seas and other cruise ships will  set sail from Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, with South Korea as the main destination.
 The Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal terminal has became Asia's busiest cruise liner terminal, according to Shanghai Daily. Source: Shanghai Daily

Royal Caribbean International's cruise ship 'Voyager of the Seas' docked at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal for the first time to launch its summer cruise itineraries in China. “China’s cruise market is young and vibrant. Royal Caribbean International is optimistic about the development of the cruise industry here and will continue the investment in this market,” said Lisa Bauer, RCI’s senior vice-president of global sales and marketing. Bauer said that RCI’s business has been growing significantly since it entered the Chinese market in 2008. The company plans to introduce the Mariner of the Seas – a sister ship of the Voyager of the Seas – to Shanghai next year to meet surging demand. The Voyager of the Seas will mainly make trips to Japan and South Korea.

Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal will be the home port for Costa Victoria, which will provide 33 itineraries a year, making Costa Cruises the biggest international operator at the terminal. With the explicit support and encouragement from the Chinese government Costa Cruises has been running cruises from Shanghai since 2006. At the end of this year it’s estimated that Costa will have operated more than 300 cruises and holidayed over 300,000 people from China. The growth of the market means that the Asia Pacific region is one of the most important for Costa Cruises…