First Chinese cruiser to launch in 2017

The first ship made for the Chinese market by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will debut in 2017, said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of the company at the three-day 10th China Cruise Shipping Conference & International Cruise Expo which began on Tuesday.

With a capacity of 4,200 passengers, the new craft will be the second Breakaway Plus level vessel of NCL and will continue the brand's celebrated "freestyle cruising".

While still under construction, the ship has been designed to meet Chinese holidaymakers' demands in terms of accommodation, food and onboard experiences. Passengers can enjoy world-class entertainment, taste exquisite Chinese cuisine as well as Continental dishes and shop in duty-free stores.

NCL has already established offices in the China World Trade Center Tower district in downtown Beijing and the Quarry Bay area of Hong Kong. A further office opened in the Xintiandi area of central Shanghai on Wednesday. Together they will handle the three brands under NCL: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

With a history of 50 years, NCL is an internationally operating cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida with two offices in Wiesbaden, Germany and London overseeing operations in Europe. The three NCL brands operate a fleet of 21 ships with approximately 40,000 berths visiting more than 420 destinations worldwide. The company will launch six more ships by 2019.