Royal Caribbean ups the ante in China, adding Mariner of the Seas
At a news conference Friday in Beijing, top Royal Caribbean executives announced that the recently revitalized Mariner of the Seas will head to Asia in June 2013 and offer numerous itineraries from China and Singapore to Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea throughout the rest of the year.
The addition of a second 3,114-berth ship to China, to join Voyager of the Seas for its second China season, shows the company’s commitment Asia’s growing cruise industry. The ships will be the two largest capacity cruise vessels operating in the region. Meanwhile, Legend of the Seas, which has sailed from Singapore and Shanghai for the past three years, will return to Europe.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and ceo Richard Fain and Royal Caribbean International president and ceo Adam Goldstein made the announcement with Zinan Liu, group md for China and Asia.
Mariner of the Seas will offer a wide variety of itineraries, ranging from three nights to 12 nights.
The company said the move is designed to offer additional capacity to a fast growing Chinese cruise vacation population, as well as attract travelers from around the world to visit China and sail around Asia. The ship will adopt the same product customizations made for Voyager of the Seas’ entry in the market, including Chinese-style menus, as well as enhanced retail and entertainment offerings, and language services.
‘The opportunities to attract guests from China to cruise are abundant,’ Goldstein said. ‘Mariner of the Seas recently received a host of Royal Advantage enhancements and I’m confident cruisers here will be amazed by the Oasis-class innovations available for everyone of all ages on this ship.’
‘We’ve made it clear we see Asia in general, and China in particular, as a strategic objective,’ Fain added. ‘We have been so pleased by the market’s response to bringing Voyager of the Seas to Asia that it made strategic sense to send a second ship of equal size.’
The 138,279gt Mariner of the Seas entered service in 2003. The ship will depart the Caribbean in April next year and head to Singapore and on to China via Dubai and the Suez Canal.
‘This is another major step forward, in a short period of time, for the cruise industry in China,’ Liu said. ‘The feedback from guests sailing with Royal Caribbean has been tremendously positive, and we look forward to continuing to work with other Chinese ports and travel partners to further develop the country’s overall cruise economy.’
Mariner of the Seas offers the benefits of the multimillion-dollar Royal Advantage upgrade, including enhanced staterooms and innovative features Royal Caribbean has created in recent years. As well as a greater variety of dining and entertainment options, the ship offers a giant outdoor movie screen, an ice rink, pervasive Wi-Fi, interactive flat-panel televisions in staterooms, a digital way-finding system and more.
（出典：seatrade-insider.com ）
来年（２０１３年）のロイヤルカリビアンは、なんと イーグルクラス２隻をアジアにっていうことらしいです。レジェンドは欧州へ持っていってしまうらしい。
さて、ここで問題が...
シンガポールは既報の通りで、新ターミナルがこの６月から使用開始となり、オアシスクラスまでの接岸が可能になります。また、かねてから旧カイタック空港跡地に新ターミナルを建設中の香港も、２０１３年７月にはオープンするとのこと。こちらもオアシス級２隻の接岸が可能。
上海の宝山、天津も接岸には問題なし。
済州島も新桟橋ですでに受け入れ可能。
釜山も多分大丈夫でしょう。
振り返って、日本はというと...
寒いなぁ...
九州は長崎、福岡とも大丈夫でしょう。
あとは神戸、大阪もOK
問題は東。
RCIで言えば、バンテージやイーグルを持ってこられてしまうと、ターミナルでの対応が出来ない。
施設上の問題ではなく、航路の途中にある橋のクリアランスの問題。
横浜はQM2で懲りたのか、大桟橋以外での巨大客船の寄港を渋っている節が見られます。
東京は首長があれではハナから話にならない。レインボーブリッジのクリアランスもベイブリッジよりさらに低いと来てるし。しかもまた橋を架けちゃったもんだから、ターミナル以外でもますます入ってこれる場所が減ってる。
これは来ないですよ、東には...
来年はやっぱりプリンセス頼みとなりそうな...
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