Princess just announced that they will sail the third Royal-class ship, still under construction in Italy, full time in China. She scheduled to be launched in late Spring 2017 then will sail to Shanghai where she will be based. Princess is touting the unnamed ship will be “the first year-round international luxury vessel designed and built specifically for Chinese guests.” Princess is working on making slight changes to the vessel.
via Princess:
In addition, the new ship will showcase the exclusive Princess Class experience designed specifically for the Chinese market that the company introduced during its first season. Delivered by the ship’s dedicated and caring crew, Princess Class enriches the travel experience of each cruise guest, enabling them to participate in unique cultural, culinary, entertaining and inspiring programs including the World Leaders Dinner, traditional English afternoon tea, a Lobster Grill, Ultimate Balcony Dining, an ocean-view hot pot dinner option, ballroom dancing, and an unparalleled duty-free shopping experience.
Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises:
Deploying our next new ship in China underscores our strong commitment to growing the China cruise market and providing discerning travelers with amazing vacation experiences at sea.
Princess has even launched a dedicated website specifically for this market.
If we though the Asian market was booming when Royal Caribbean sent the Quantum & Ovation there, the market is now exploding with Carnival Corp.’s push with their Princess brand.