How Does Royal Caribbean's China Cruises Compare To Local Cruise Lines?
A variety of cruises are available aboard the Spectrum of the Seas, ranging from short 4-night escapes, to 9-night holidays. But how do they stack up against China's own domestic cruise lines?
Spectrum of the Seas arriving in Hong Kong. PHOTO: SINGAPOE CRUISE SOCIETY
Royal Caribbean has officially released the itineraries for their 2024-2025 China & Hong Kong Deployment, marking the brand’s return for the first time in 4 years. The Spectrum of the Seas, originally built for the Chinese market, will make her return to China in late-April 2024, after a two-year long deployment from Singapore.
Spectrum To Cruise From Shanghai & Hong Kong
The 2024-2025 China-Hong Kong Deployment will see Royal Caribbean International base the Spectrum of the Seas in Shanghai from April to November 2024. In December 2024, Spectrum of the Seas will take a break from the winter in Shanghai, and offer a month-long series of cruises from Hong Kong. Shanghai cruises will resume from January to February 2025.
The First International Cruise Line To Return To China
"Chinese vacationers have been eagerly awaiting to wander and make memories throughout Asia again, and we are delighted to make that possible as the first international cruise line to open for bookings and cruise in China. And what better way to mark Royal Caribbean’s homecoming than with the return of Spectrum of the Seas, a ship that was specifically designed for Asia,” said Dr. Zinan Liu, senior vice president and chairman, Asia, Royal Caribbean Group.
“Today, we can proudly proclaim, 'We are back in China!'’, Dr. Liu added.
Singapore To Shanghai Repositioning Cruise
8-Night Singapore To Shanghai Cruise
Spectrum of the Seas’ final Singapore departure will be on 18 April 2024, for a 8-Night, one-way Singapore to Shanghai Cruise. From Singapore, the ship will visit Nha Trang and offer an overnight stay in Hong Kong. Spectrum of the Seas will arrive at Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on 26 April 2024.
8-Night Singapore To Shanghai Cruise.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
From Shanghai: 4 to 7-Night Sailings To Japan
Spectrum of the Seas in Nagasaki. PHOTO: NAGASAKI SHIMBUN
4 to 5-Night Cruises
From Shanghai, Spectrum of the Seas will be sailing a variety of short 4-night cruises to either Fukuoka, Nagasaki or Naha (Okinawa). There will also be a series of 5-night cruises visiting two ports each. The list of ports include Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Naha (Okinawa) and Ishigaki.
The writer’s pick though? A 5-Night Kagoshima & Okinawa Cruise. The best of both worlds, as this is the only itinerary that visits both Okinawa and the Kyushu Region. All other 4/5-night itineraries only visit one of the two regions.
5-Night Kagoshima & Okinawa Cruise from Shanghai.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
6 to 7-Night Cruises
For guests craving longer adventures, Royal Caribbean is also offering up week-long voyages to Japan. There is one 6-Night Cruise visiting Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kumamoto, but most of these cruises travel further north along Japan’s Pacific coast, sailing as far as Kobe, Osaka (for Kyoto & Osaka) and Tokyo.
The 7-Night Kobe, Osaka & Tokyo Cruise features a late-night port stay in Kobe (until 4:00 AM on Day 4), before moving to nearby Osaka by 7:00 AM on Day 4. One can even consider this an “overnight stay”, as Osaka and Kobe are only an hour away from each other by train.
The 21 July 2024 sailing will also see Spectrum of the Seas berth at the newly-built Tokyo International Passenger Terminal for its port call to Tokyo, rather than docking in Yokohama. The change will save guests at least an hour of travel time, as the new berth in Tokyo is located near the city centre. This will be the ship’s inaugural call to the (actual) Port of Tokyo.
7-NIght Kyoto, Osaka & Tokyo Cruise from Shanghai.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
Shanghai to Hong Kong Repositioning Cruise
And to get to Hong Kong, there will also be a one-way, 5-Night Shanghai to Hong Kong Cruise, visiting Naha (Okinawa) and Ishigaki along the way.
5-Night Shanghai to Hong Kong Cruise. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
From Hong Kong: 4 to 9-Night Cruises to Vietnam & Japan
Spectrum of the Seas in Hong Kong. PHOTO: ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
December 2024 will be packed to the brim, as Spectrum of the Seas will undertake cruises of different lengths, all in the span of one month.
4 to 5-Night Cruises
There will be four 4/5-Night sailings — two 4-Night trips to Vietnam, visiting either Chan May or Nha Trang, and one 5-Night cruise to Okinawa and Ishigaki.
4-Night Chan May Cruise from Hong Kong.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
4-Night Nha Trang Cruise from Hong Kong.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
5-Night Okinawa & Ishigaki Cruise from Hong Kong.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
9-Night Cruises
The Hong Kong portion of the deployment will also see one 9-Night cruise — the longest cruise for the deployment.
Departing 20 December 2024 and sailing over Christmas, the 9-Night Best Of Japan Holiday Cruise will visit four Japanese ports — Kagoshima, Aburatsu (for Miyazaki), Nagasaki and Fukuoka. This cruise will coincide with the Christmas holiday, so guests looking for something special to do for 2024’s Christmas may want to consider this cruise.
9-Night Best Of Japan Holiday Cruise. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
Hong Kong to Shanghai Repositioning Cruise
And to return to Shanghai in January, there is also a one-way, 4-Night Hong Kong to Shanghai Cruise, with one stop in Naha, Okinawa.
4-Night Hong Kong to Shanghai Cruise. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
But How Does It Stack Up Against Local Offerings?
In the four years since Royal Caribbean was last present in the Chinese market, plenty of home-grown domestic cruise lines have sprung up China and Hong Kong. Some took advantage of short cruises with only Chinese ports (which avoided the whole “overseas travel” problem). And in Hong Kong, Resorts World Cruises currently is the sole cruise line to call the city home year-round. So how does Royal Caribbean’s China sailings compare to the local competition?
SHanghai, China
China Merchants Viking Cruises
From Shanghai, we take a look at China Merchants Viking Cruises (CM Viking)- a joint-venture between Norway-based Viking Ocean Cruises and China Merchants Group.
Launching during in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, it was the first cruise line in China to resume commercial cruise operations. The cruise line poises itself as a luxury cruise line, offering the best of European Hospitality and Chinese Culture. It operates one vessel — the Chinese-flagged Zhao Shang Yi Dun (roughly translates to “China Merchants Eden”), formerly operated by Viking Ocean Cruises as Viking Sun.
Zhao Shang Yi Dun in Osaka, Japan. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/NUMATA RAISUKE
As of July 2023, China Merchants Viking is offering 14-Night Cruises to Japan, with very similar destinations like Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, and even overnight stays in Osaka. It also visits a selection of ports that Royal Caribbean will not be visiting, like Nagoya, Tokushima and Shimizu (for Mt. Fuji).
14-Night “Harmony And Elegance Of Japan” Cruise from China Merchants Viking Cruises, departing 02 July 2023.
PHOTO: CHINA MERCHANTS VIKING CRUISES
Translation of Port Names:
上海 — Shanghai
鹿儿岛 — Kagoshima
高知 — Kochi
德岛 — Tokushima
名古屋 — Nagoya
清水 (富士山) — Shimizu (Mt. Fuji)
大阪 — Osaka
广岛 — Hiroshima
福冈 — Fukuoka
长崎 — Nagasaki
As a Luxury Cruise Line, CM Viking Cruises is in a separate section of the cruise market when compared with Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean orients itself as a multi-generational, family experience, focusing on shorter escapes for the whole family. CM Viking however, is destination-focused, and thus offers longer voyages with more less-frequently visited ports.
Hong Kong
Resorts World Cruises
Singapore Cruise Society is no stranger to Resorts World Cruises — Asia’s home-grown Dynamic Lifestyle Cruise Brand. We have covered the Resorts World Cruises experience across their two ships — Singapore-based Genting Dream and Hong Kong-based Resorts World One. From Hong Kong, Resorts World One is currently on a year-round dual-homeport arrangement, with cruises visiting and beginning in both Hong Kong and Taiwan, and will also begin to offer Cruise + Land Stay options to Xiamen.
Resorts World One is currently cruising out of Hong Kong.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
Resorts World One Itineraries. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
At the moment, Royal Caribbean International has no similar cruises from Hong Kong to Taiwanese ports, and Resorts World Cruises does not operate cruises to Vietnam and Japan. The destinations offered by either cruise line do not overlap, so it’s more of a choice of destination.
Royal Caribbean International’s 2024-2025 China & Hong Kong sailings are now open for booking. For details and reservations, please visit www.royalcaribbean.com, or speak with your preferred travel professional.
DISCLAIMER: While due diligence has been taken to ensure all information presented is accurate and up-to-date, the information is subject to change, and discrepancies in, but not limited to, timings and/or ports-of-call may occur. In the event of such a discrepancy, the cruise line’s itinerary will prevail. You are advised to contact the cruise lines directly for information, or to speak with your preferred travel consultant. Singapore Cruise Society will not be held responsible for any discrepancies found in the information provided.
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