Hong Kong to be home port to US$1 billion cruise ship, city’s largest yet, tailor-made for Chinese market
Mainland Chinese film star Fan Bingbing will be ‘godmother’ of Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas, which can carry 4,180 guests
Royal Caribbean International has arranged for another world-class cruise liner to make Hong Kong its mother port, to meet the growing demand from China.
Ovation of the Seas, which cost US$1 billion to build and could host as many as 4,180 guests, will dock at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal this November after it finishes its 53-day world tour. This will be the largest cruise liner to use Hong Kong as its home port.
During its time in Hong Kong, the new liner, the 1,141-feet long ship will offer five routes from the city to Taiwan and Japan, ranging from four nights to eight nights, according to Liu Zinan, the company’s China and north Asia-Pacific region president.
“We have seen increasing demand and very healthy growth since we entered Hong Kong,” Liu said. He added that the connectivity of Hong Kong to Pearl River Delta, central China and Taiwan was an unique advantage when compared to other mainland ports.
However, the new world-class ship will only spend one month in Hong Kong, while spend nine months in Tian Jin – its first home port.
Balwin Yeung Pok-Hung, Hong Kong director of marketing at the company said the improvements of cruise facilities in the city had made it possible for its larger cruises to use Hong Kong as home port. He added that the company would extended the ship’s time in Hong Kong if the city proved to be a popular destination.
Yeung expected that half of the new trip’s guests would be Hongkongers, while 40 per cent would be from mainland China.
Unlike Royal Caribbean’s other ships, Ovation of the Seas was tailor-made for the China market, with a special focus on Chinese food.
Popular mainland film star Fan Bingbing was appointed the “godmother” of the new ship, the first Chinese personality to assume the post in cruise history. Traditionally, a female civilian is invited to “sponsor” a seagoing vessel, presumably to bestow good luck and divine protection on it.
The company will collaborate with China’s Forbidden City Imperial Palace Museum to display ancient artwork on the ship and introduce Chinese culture to guests through relevant courses.
Royal Caribbean will also partner with Xin Dau Ji, a Cantonese restaurant chain in Hong Kong, to offer over 20 free dishes on each sailing from the city.