Norwegian to send newest, hottest ship to China
Add Norwegian to the list of cruise companies sending their newest, hottest ships to China.
The Miami-based line today revealed that a 4,200-passenger vessel it has on order for delivery in 2017 will be devoted to Chinese travelers instead of North Americans.
Currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the as-yet-unnamed, 164,400-ton vessel will feature accommodations, cuisine and on-board experiences that cater specifically to the preferences of Chinese travelers, the line said. It'll be based at a China port to be named later.
“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,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is the parent company of Norwegian as well as Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The announcement comes as rivals Royal Caribbean and Princess are in the midst of deploying their latest ships to China. Royal Caribbean just moved its one-year-old, 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas to Shanghai year-round to serve the Chinese market and will send a second new vessel to China in 2016. Princess plans to send its next new ship to China in 2017.
The moves are a blow to North American cruisers who are accustomed to getting the latest ships from North America-based lines in their home markets. But the industry increasingly is looking to Asia for growth, and a growing number of lines are concluding the secret to success in the region is in the deployment of new vessels.
Among other lines shifting capacity to Asia to target local markets are Costa Cruises, which has been expanding rapidly in China. Princess also has been expanding in Japan with cruises aimed at the local market.
The ship Norwegian is sending to China will be based on the design of the line's soon-to-debut Norwegian Escape -- the largest Norwegian ship ever. For a sneak peek inside the vessel, which will be christened in November, scroll through our 'first look' tour in the carousel below.
