Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) is set to ride on the Chinese cruise market with the introduction of ‘Voyager of the Seas’ in June 2012. The ship will accommodate 3,114 guests and the duration of the cruise will range from 4 to 10 nights.
Voyager of the Seas will be double the size of any cruise ship operating in China or in the Asia-Pacific region. In China, Royal Caribbean primarily intends to cater to cities like Shanghai, Tianjin, Hong Kong and Xiamen, to turn these into world class cruise destinations.
The ship will set sail to Shanghai from Europe before offering tours in Japan and Korea until this August. October onward, Voyager will serve Sydney, Australia.
Gauging huge opportunities in the China market, Royal Caribbean is looking forward to work with the Chinese ports and travel partners to drive its international growth ahead.
In fact, China became the core zone of Royal Caribbean’s international development. Miami-based Royal Caribbean plans to offer innovative ships and customized services to tap the market, which will attract not only domestic vacationers but also guests across the globe to cruise around Asia.
Royal Caribbean, which competes with Carnival Corp. (CCL), is already recognized as the leading international brand in the emerging China market. Earlier, ‘Legend of the Seas’ was the only Royal Caribbean cruise sailing in China. Legend of the Seas, which accommodates 1,804 guests, will sail to Shanghai in March 2012 for its fourth season. According to management, the two ships will include more Chinese attributes in their services that will appeal to guests from the region.
Royal Caribbean currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating. We are also maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock.
CARNIVAL CORP (CCL): Free Stock Analysis Report
Be the first to comment