Norwegian Cruise Line Enters Chinese Market
Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce the first purpose-built ship customized for the Chinese market in 2017, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. CEO Frank Del Rio announced today during the CruiseWorld China summit in Shanghai.
Currently under construction, the new ship is designed for the China market with accommodations, cuisine and onboard experiences that cater to the unique vacation preferences of Chinese guests.
“Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility,” Del Rio said. “With this new ship, Norwegian will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into the marketplace, with an unrivaled level of customization for the Chinese consumer. It will perfectly suit what modern Chinese travelers value from an upscale cruise experience.”
The new ship will be the second of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Plus class and features the line’s “Freestyle Cruising”, which offers guests a resort-style vacation experience with the freedom and flexibility to spend time doing whatever they wish, from world-class entertainment to fine Mandarin, Cantonese and Continental dining; from duty-free luxury shopping to participating in a number of activities onboard; all on their own schedule.
With a capacity of 4,200 guests, this new vessel will feature experiences and amenities designed specifically with Chinese guest in mind, with a level of customization going beyond the physical design of the ship. Working with partners in China and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture, guests who sail on this new ship will be provided with a quality-level for service, cuisine, entertainment and overall experience not yet available in the Chinese market, the cruise line said.
To better support the company’s expansion efforts in China, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has opened offices in Beijing (Guomao CBD) and Hong Kong (Quarry Bay) and today opens its Shanghai office in Xintiandi. These China-based offices support all three brands in the company’s portfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
“Our China offices house a dedicated leadership team uniquely focused on ensuring the success of our local travel agent partners, which is crucial to the success of our expansion in what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market,” Del Rio said. “These offices will provide sales and marketing support to our travel partners whose customers not only wish to sail on our new China-based ship, but also on any of the incredible voyages around the world offered across our portfolio of brands.”
The new China-based ship will be delivered in Spring 2017. Norwegian will take delivery of the line’s first Breakaway Plus class ship, Norwegian Escape, next week on October 22. Two additional ships in this class are on order for delivery in 2018 and 2019.
