Royal Caribbean kicks-off first cruise Busan season
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SEOUL, April 5, 2010 - After her last call less than a year ago, Royal Caribbean International’s Legend of the Seas has returned to Busan on the morning of April 2, more significantly, to kickstart the global cruise brand’s first season at this port, which underscores the growing importance of the Korean market to the company. The ship was welcomed by around 250 persons at the pier including the city’s governmental officials and residents with an official ceremony and celebrations.
She departed on a 7-night sailing to Shanghai, Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Fukuoka the same afternoon. For the Busan season from now till September, Royal Caribbean will be offering as many as 11 distinct itineraries and close to 20 sailings to choose from, including 10 during the July/August school holiday season. They range from three to eight nights to various popular Japanese and Chinese destinations including new ones such as Miyazaki, Nagasaki and Tianjin. Most of all, holiday-makers in Korea can now enjoy the convenience of embarking and disembarking directly at Busan for these North Asian cruises. This season is also part of Royal Caribbean’s year-round deployment in Asia.
A ceremony was held at the cruise terminal in the morning to commemorate the start of the Busan season, with the exchange of mementos between the ship’s captain and Roh Ki-Tae, President of Busan Port Authority as well as Jeong Lak-Hyeong, Vice Mayor of Busan City. The crowd was also treated to the world-famous Korean musical and dance performance Nanta which heightened the celebrations. This was followed by a tour and luncheon for the VIPs onboard the ship.
Kelvin Tan, Royal Caribbean’s Regional Director, Asia Pacific said at the ceremony, “The start of Royal Caribbean’s first season in Busan today demonstrates our company’s commitment to growing its presence in Korea, one of our key Asian markets. We look forward to welcoming as many guests from Korea as possible on our cruises. With Legend of the Seas sailing year-round in Asia and a Busan season with so many attractive itineraries, our Korean guests will find it more convenient and appealing than ever to experience our cruises. We also hope to bring them not only the renowned Royal Caribbean cruise experience but also a truly sophisticated cruising style of international flavor.”
Enhanced Onboard Offerings for Korean Guests Onboard Legend of the Seas, vacationers can look forward to an ocean of entertainment and relaxation choices for the whole family, such as the brand’s signature 9m rock-wall and miniature golf course, Broadway-style musicals, Solarium indoor pool, fitness centre and spa. In addition, there is a wide variety of international cuisine in the two-tier glass-walled Romeo and Juliet Dining Room. As for the younger guests, they will be entertained by the Adventure Ocean activities for multiple age groups. Most of all, virtually everything onboard is included in the price, such as meals, room service and most entertainment and activities.
Lee Jae-Myung, Royal Caribbean’s International Representative in Korea said, “While keeping to its international cruising style, Royal Caribbean has also enhanced a number of elements on Legend of the Seas’ Busan cruises for our Korean guests’ preference and ease. For instance, favorite Korean dishes like kimchi are offered on the menus, there will be crew onboard fluent in Korean, and we are providing signboards, daily program sheets and announcements in Korean. We have even added popular songs in our karaoke system, a guide book on the ship, plus books and family board games in the library, all in Korean.”
He added, “Our April sailings are almost sold out which is a very encouraging start. This shows that our brand is becoming more and more established in this market, and we believe that this season will be the historic momentum to bring a cruise boom to Korea.”
Year-Round Deployment in Asia In addition to Busan, Legend of the Seas also sails out from Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai and for the first time soon at Tianjin and Yokohama during her year-round Asian deployment.
It offers over 20 different itineraries ranging from four to 14 nights covering a rich variety of ports-of-call, such as Bangkok, Halong Bay, Hualien, Sanya, Hakodate, Jeju Island and Vladivostok, which will take cruisers to all corners of the region to let them explore its breathtaking sights and immerse themselves in a rich array of cultures.
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