ship will sail three- to eight-night itineraries year-round from Shanghai to Japan
and Korea.
DRAGON FLEET
Bringing the company’s most innovative
ship to the world’s fastest-growing cruise
market is considered a shrewd move by
RCCL. The ship will reposition to China in
May 2015, following her inaugural winter season sailing out of New York Harbor
INDUSTRY MARINE BUSINESS
to the Caribbean. In China, Quantum of
the Seas will join Mariner of the Seas and
Voyager of the Seas in Asia, increasing the
company’s capacity in the region by 66
www.signwell.fi
percent.
Adam Goldstein, President and COO
for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, has commented that RCCL is ready to accelerate
the growth of the vital Chinese market
with a ship that will “capture the imagination of travelers looking for a one-of-akind vacation experience”.
According to Goldstein, every trend
that RCCL is seeing in China says that the
company can achieve real long-term competitive advantage (and appealing returns
on its investments in the market) by accelerating its presence there. RCCL has to be
nimble, but the ability to move fast is one
of the company’s strengths, he pointed
out.
The company was able to make the
move because its new-ship pipeline will
keep the New York region supplied with
top-rate ships, as well. RCCL remains “very
mindful” of the importance of New York,
which is why it is are bringing Liberty of
the Seas and then Anthem of the Seas to
this home market.
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Back in Papenburg, however, it’s not solely
about the high-profile RCCL cruise ships.
There are other vessels currently underway, as well. For example on March 20,
2014, the very first piece of steel was cut
for the construction of Norwegian Escape,
the first of two new Breakaway Plus Class
ships for Norwegian Cruise Line. Set for
seatec 2/2014
37