PRINCESS Cruises has announced it will home port cruise ship Sapphire Princess in Shanghai from May 2014 and simultaneously introduce the cruise experience called Princess Class.
During the four-month season, Sapphire Princess will offer four different sailings to South Korea ranging from three to seven days. Three-day cruises will call at Jeju, while the seven-day itinerary will cover Seoul, Busan and Jeju.
The cruise line will also bring the Princess Class cruise experience to Chinese travellers, offering “customised services and onboard features that will inspire and enrich the travel experience of each cruise passenger”, according to a press release by Princess Cruises.
A spokesperson from the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administrative Commission said: “As we celebrate the Year of Marine Tourism in China, it’s particularly fitting to welcome Princess Cruises as they enter China and bring exceptional travel options to our growing vacation market. We expect considerable growth in the cruise industry in the years to come, and we’re happy to support Princess Cruises as they expand here in China.”
Princess Cruises has offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Sapphire Princess features 18 decks, 28 premium suites with private balconies, a casino, duty-free shops, a fitness centre and spa, sports deck, children’s and teen’s centres, a library, Internet café, wedding chapel, art gallery and a golf-putting course, among others, with a total capacity of 2,670 passengers.
Passengers on cruises sailing from China can partake in a variety of programmes including sommelier wine excursions, daily English high tea, tai chi and Zumba, and personal enrichment courses designed to appeal to multigenerational groups.
