Royal Caribbean takes delivery of new ship for China

Cruise giant Royal Caribbean on Friday took delivery of a new ship that it's devoting to the fast-growing China market.

Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, the 4,180-passenger Ovation of the Seas is the third in the line's Quantum series, which began rolling out in 2014.

The first ship in the series, Quantum of the Seas, also is devoted to the China market, sailing year-round out of Shanghai. The second ship in the series, Anthem of the Seas, sails year-round out of the New York area to the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Cruise lines only recently have begun sending some of their newest, hottest ships to China to tap growing local demand for cruises.

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Ovation is being billed as the first major cruise ship that has been custom designed for the local Chinese market. It will be based in Tianjin, China, 70 miles southeast of Beijing. That'll give Royal Caribbean four "home ports" in China: Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Xiamen.

Ovation is joining four other Royal Caribbean vessels deployed at least part of the year in China: Quantum, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas. With the addition, Royal Caribbean will have the largest cruise fleet in the country.

Royal Caribbean vessels in China operate three- to 12-night sailings to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

USA TODAY Cruise in 2015 was among a handful of U.S. media outlets to get early access to Ovation's one-year-old sister, Anthem of the Seas, ahead of its christening in Southampton, England. For our 'first look' tour of the ship, click through the carousel at the top of this story. Scroll through the carousels below for a tour of the Anthem's suites and videos from Quantum class vessels.