World's largest cruise ship to set sail from city next year
An artist's rendition of Wonder of the Seas
A new luxury cruise liner will set sail from Shanghai in 2022 with Royal Caribbean International, a luxury cruise operator, eying the resumption of service in the Chinese market.
Wonder of the Seas, a next-generation Oasis Class cruise ship, will depart from China in 2022, Royal Caribbean International announced in Shanghai on Tuesday night with the presence of Shanghai Vice Mayor Zong Ming and other government officials from Baoshan District, the Shanghai Commission of Commerce, Shanghai Transportation Commission, Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism and Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration.
With a weight of 236,857 tons, Wonder of the Seas will be the world's largest cruise ship when completed in Saint-Nazaire, France, and will accommodate almost 7,000 people.
Oasis Class has retained the record as the world's largest luxury cruise ship for 12 years. The first four Oasis Class cruise ships are deployed in North America and Europe, so this will be a first for the Asian market. Wonder of the Seas is the newest member of the Oasis Class family.
It will feature Central Park with tropical plants, the open-air AquaTheater for shows, the 10-deck Ultimate Abyss that offers the highest slide at sea and a 25-meter Zipline.
"China is one of the most important strategic markets for Royal Caribbean, and the deployment of Wonder of the Seas reaffirms our strong commitment to the Chinese market," said Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean International.
Wonder of the Seas is scheduled to arrive in Shanghai next March, and will depart from Shanghai and Hong Kong for four- to eight-day journeys to several Asian destinations if approved by relevant authorities, according to Royal Caribbean, adding that relevant processes are underway and the company is optimistic for the resumption of operations.
Shanghai will be the ship's home port beginning next March and switch to Hong Kong the following November to operate its Christmas-New Year's Day holiday sailings.
