Royal Caribbean to offer series of HK cruises
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HONG KONG, October 13, 2009 - Royal Caribbean Cruises’ senior management Michael Bayley, Senior Vice President, International, Rama Rebbapragada, Regional Vice President, International and Kelvin Tan, Regional Director, Asia Pacific are currently in Hong Kong to promote the Legend of the Seas’ upcoming Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore cruises. Over the one-day visit, they will also be meeting with government officials and trade partners to discuss matters related to growing the company’s presence in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is expected to be a huge contributor of guest-sourcing for these cruises which are part of her year-round deployment in Asia starting from this November. In recent years, Hong Kong has established itself as one of Royal Caribbean’s top markets in Asia. Global cruise brand Royal Caribbean International is also gaining recognition as the preferred cruise brand since it started offering Asian cruises regularly for the past two seasons, especially for those out of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore which are popular with Hong Kong guests.
In addition, Hong Kong will be one of the homeports for Legend of the Seas from February 2010, in time for the Chinese New Year holiday season. Hong Kong will be offering four distinct itineraries ranging from five to fourteen nights, visiting a mix of popular and exotic ports-of-call such as Hualien, Taipei (Keelung), Hue, Halong Bay, Nagasaki, Seoul (Incheon) and Sanya. These include a spectacular five-night cruise to Taipei (Keelung), Okinawa and ending in Shanghai. Before returning to Hong Kong in September 2010, the ship will be also homeported in Shanghai and for the first time, Tianjin and Yokohama.
Michael Bayley said, “Our focus today on Hong Kong as a key source market demonstrates its importance to Royal Caribbean’s Asian business strategy. Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand that has enjoyed strong appeal to Hong Kong cruisers all these years, and we expect their number to grow significantly in the coming years as we continue to offer more regular cruises in Asia and new ships such as the upcoming Oasis of the Seas.”
Margaret Fong, Commissioner for Tourism, said, “Legend of the Seas’ deployment to Hong Kong reflects the growing importance of the cruise market in the region, as well as Hong Kong’s position as a leading cruise hub. Hong Kong is well-positioned to help propel the growth of the cruise industry in the region. With the new cruise terminal, Hong Kong will be ready to receive the next generation of mega cruise ships, including the upcoming largest-ever cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas. We look forward to welcoming many more world-class mega cruise ships homeporting or calling at Hong Kong.”
Rama Rebbapragada added, “We are delighted to see the Hong Kong Government forging ahead with plans to make the city an international cruise destination with the development of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. We are sure that this will complement our cruises out of Hong Kong in the future, and boost its status as a key homeport for Royal Caribbean and our other brands. We appreciate the commitment that the Tourism Commission and Tourism Board have made in providing an open and business-friendly environment for the industry to grow in the region.”
Mr Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said, “The HKTB welcomes the homeporting of Legend of the Seas in Hong Kong from February 2010. This is truly an affirmation of Hong Kong’s status as the preferred cruise hub and travel destination in the region. The deployment to Hong Kong in February 2010 will coincide with our Chinese New Year celebrations, which hold strong appeal to global visitors. Working closely with Royal Caribbean Cruises and our travel trade partners, we will devise creative fly/cruise packages to attract visitors to Hong Kong during this special period, where they can experience our unique attractions and culture, as well as a memorable cruise journey.”
The 70,000-tonne Legend of the Seas offers more than 2,000 passengers unrivaled access to a wide range of entertainment and relaxation options including the signature miniature golf course and rock climbing wall, Legend Day spa and fitness centre, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and Broadway-style shows.
Dining choices are similarly extensive with epicurean delights served at the Romeo and Juliet Dining Room from where one can enjoy a view out to sea, or for more relaxed settings guests can choose the buffet-style Windjammer Caf
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