As the market started late, the cruise companies that dominate China tourists are not as rich and colorful as foreign cruise markets. The mainstream ones are as follows:

1. Costa Cruises (English name Costa, with the same name as a coffee brand but no business relationship), whose spokesperson is Gao Yuanyuan, the goddess of otaku. At present, there are four ships in service in China, namely Atlantic, Victoria (the domestic 20 16 season has passed), Selena and Lucky, which just arrived in Shanghai this year. Selena is the largest tonnage ship.

2. Royal Caribbean International Cruises. Its Ocean Mariner, Ocean Voyager and quantum of the seas all operate in China, and quantum of the seas is one of them (a sister ship of quantum of the seas, 20 16, came to Tianjin market, called Ocean Li Zan, with almost the same software and hardware, and friends interested in Li Zan can refer to the evaluation of Quantum).

3. Princess Cruises (and Costa belong to the Carnival Group, a crocodile in the cruise industry). There are two cruise ships in the domestic home port, the Shanghai Sapphire Princess and the Tianjin Golden Princess.

4. Tianhai Cruise (Ctrip shares with Royal Caribbean parent company * * *). At present, she only has one ship, Tianhai New Century, which made its maiden voyage in May, 2005.

The author happens to be sitting on the flagship of these four companies. Tell the difference between the four kinds of ships with your own experience.

I. First impressions

From the exterior decoration to the interior decoration, you can see the temperament of a ship.

Among the four ships, the 70,000-ton Tianhai New Century Cruise is the smallest. This ship originally belonged to a high-end brand, celebrity cruise, called exquisite century, focusing on high-end experience. After the cruise ship bought this ship, it was renamed the New Century.

The appearance of the ship is refurbished, mainly dark blue. Because the tonnage is not too high, there will be no pressure when approaching.

The interior style is introverted and there are no particularly eye-catching facilities. However, due to the renovation this year, the whole is clean and bright.

From the point of view of appearance and decoration, Tianhai cruise ship is quite satisfactory, neither brilliant nor downwind.

Selena is Costa's largest ship in China at present, with a tonnage of110.5 million tons, and it already owns A Sea Castle.

Located at sea, in ancient Rome, besides the nickname "Ship of the Gods", there was a Pantheon Hall that spanned the 10 floor. Zeus, the king of the gods, took away many ancient Roman gods. Although it is ancient Rome, the influence of ancient Roman mythology is not as good as that of ancient Greek mythology, so the gods on this ship all use ancient Greek names.

The S style of the whole ship is mainly yellow. Many venues in the hall borrowed the essence of ancient Roman architecture. For example, the Zeus Grand Theatre, which watches performances, is modeled after the style of the Colosseum in Rome, with many gimmicks.

As a representative of Italian style, Costa is very good at telling stories to her boat. The naming and decoration of various facilities gave the imagination of ancient Roman ships in selena.

Both Princess Sapphire and Selena are 1 15000 tons, but the passenger capacity is less than the latter 1000. At the same time, there are more than 1000 crew members, which makes the ratio of passengers to crew members as low as 2.5. As can be seen from this data, the positioning of Princess S is slightly higher than that of ordinary Volkswagen cruise ships.

The princess's design S basically has no particularly eye-catching elements, and the continuous colors are mainly elegant, striving to reflect elegance and tranquility.

The biggest feeling of these days spent on Princess is quiet and relaxation, which is also in line with the positioning of the ship.

The tonnage of Royal Caribbean Quantum is168,000 tons, which is second to none in the world.

If sapphire princess's temperament is introverted and calm, then the quantum label is high-profile. From a distance, the tonnage of 1.68 million is already outstanding, but Quantum still put a two-story pink giant bear on the deck to make the ship's shape more unique.

Idon' the interior decoration, you can't see any classical elements similar to the Titanic period, only dazzling electronic screens and glass fiber reinforced plastics, which always remind you of a new era.

First impressions, personal order is as follows: Quantum Ocean sapphire princess Selena New Century.

II free restaurant

There are generally two kinds of free restaurants on cruise ships, one is the main restaurant (which is open at dinner time and can order food in the form of three meals) and the other is the cafeteria (which is open at any time and self-help).

There are two main restaurants on StarrSelena, which are connected to each other and offer the same menu. As an Italian-style cruise ship, European cuisine is Selena's specialty, but in order to take care of China guests, the ship will also serve improved Chinese food, which is very delicious. Lobster will be served in the captain's restaurant. Dinner at the end of the voyage.

As for the cafeteria, its tiramisu, pizza and pasta are all authentic Italian flavors, especially pizza, which has won several blocks. The main restaurants on cruise ships in the new century are also connected, and the main restaurants rarely provide free juice; The food tastes stable and the ingredients are fresh. At every lobster dinner, you can enjoy the lobster shelling service provided by Costa, the royal family and the princess. This lobster competes with Lena, but it tastes better.

The canteen will provide Chinese cooking and staple food, as well as sushi, pizza and dessert. In the taste of the main course, it is no less than Selena. There are many choices of drinks, including ordinary milk, coffee, tea bags, fruit juice, instant hot chocolate and so on.

Princess Sapphire is the best ship in the hearts of many cruise passengers. This not only refers to the careful selection and careful cooking of ingredients, but also refers to the elegance of the dining environment. Other ships will invite guests to dinner in batches because of the limited capacity of the restaurant, while Princess Sapphire has five main restaurants, which are free to sit at dinner time. The most important thing in the main restaurant is that the captain has eaten. The princess didn't provide ordinary lobster, but a very chic leader's dinner.

At least in the cafeteria, the princess believes that there are not many kinds of food. There are only 1-2 choices for each kind, but the ingredients are generous. Offer free desserts and even salmon sandwiches.

As a popular ship, Princess Sapphire has a free snack bar, pizza bar, ice cream bar and popcorn besides the main restaurant and cafeteria. Although we haven't found enough special drinks such as milk tea milkshake for free, we still have a drink card of 7 USD/day, which is basically equal to the charity price (65,438+0.4 of the price of similar products on board), and we can enjoy non-alcoholic drinks such as milkshake, milk tea and fruit juice.

Ocean Quantum also has five restaurants, each offering different styles of dishes, including classic western food, modern western food, American western food and Asian food.

Among the ships mentioned above, Quantum's restaurant is the largest, which can accommodate more than 1000 people at the same time. All kinds of meat, vegetables, sushi and salads are available, and pitaya and mangosteen are supplied every day, with extremely rich varieties.

In addition to the main restaurant and cafeteria, there are free cafes, snack bars, pizza bars, hot dog houses and ice cream on board, no less than the Princess.

The quantity and quality of free restaurants are actually reflected in the ticket price.

Tickets with Quantum Princess are a little more expensive, and there are more kinds of food in Quantum Free Restaurant than Princess. When it comes to taste, the princess is better.

Selena and Tianhai, because of their low pricing, can't be compared with Princess and Quantum's free meal types. However, some people are willing to board the ship at a more favorable price and then taste the paid restaurant on board. This is also an idea.

Free restaurant, personal order is as follows: sapphire princess, Ocean Quantum Sky Sea Cruise Selena.

San special restaurant

Most of the special restaurants on board are charged, which is to change the taste and pursue a better dining environment.

There are two special restaurants on Starselena, one is called Haidilao. Although the taste is not quite the same as that of Sichuan hot pot on the shore, the price of 25 yuan (155 yuan) can serve unlimited food, which is very conscience. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most cost-effective hot pot at sea.

Another paid restaurant is a Japanese restaurant. All kinds of sushi sake are charged at a single point. You can also buy a set meal that includes all the dishes for $35. Although the taste is not too bright, eating too much western food is an option.

Tianxin Century has three paid restaurants. The $50/person Paris restaurant offers top-notch French dinner with excellent lobster, steak and French dessert. If you live in PS/RS suite, you can also taste it for free.

Another specialty restaurant, Huaiyang Home Cooking, serves Jiangnan Home Cooking. The set meal is $25 per person, including six courses, of which the soup is authentic. (2065438+July 2006 Note: This restaurant has been removed by Tianhai. I'll let you know when I try a new restaurant on the boat. )

Sheng Di restaurant can be used as a snack choice, mainly focusing on Cantonese dim sum and Southeast Asian snacks. The price is similar to that of Hong Kong-style restaurants on the shore, which is very affordable.

Sapphire princess Stoll Restaurant is a must-see on board. The Italian restaurant in San Batini, which costs $25/person, is one of the signs, allowing you to eat authentic Italian food from 200 yuan on the shore. Italian waiters will also help you add dishes according to your mood, which is worth it. (From 2065438+April 2006, the price of St. Batini's restaurant was adjusted to $29 per person).

15-25 USD/person Lobster BBQ provides fresh lobsters and special cooking. With lobster slices and Kung Pao lobster rice, both are delicious. (From 2065438+April 2006, the price of lobster barbecue bar was adjusted to 18-22 USD/person)

In addition, the steak, beef bones and seafood provided by SterlingSteakHouse are $25 per capita, which is excellent and equally full of praise. (From 2065438+April 2006, the price of Sterling Steakhouse was adjusted to $29/person)

In contrast, the $25 seaview hotpot per person is not so recommended. No matter the ingredients or the taste, it is far from Selina, a marine fishing boat, and it has lost the consistent standard of the princess.

The most popular choice in Ocean Quantum is the Italian restaurant Oliver's, which costs $25 per capita. This restaurant also has branches in Hong Kong, which is a famous Italian restaurant in Britain. The fob price is J- cost-effective compared with the onshore price. The meat platter in the set meal is the most recommended.

The fairyland square, which costs $39 per person, imitates Alice's artistic conception in wonderland and provides molecular cuisine. From tableware to environment, food is forced.

In addition, there are Japanese cuisine with a single charge, steak barbecue with royal characteristics ($35/person), S restaurant experienced by chefs personally ($85/person), and Jenoin beer house managed by famous American chefs (with a single charge), all of which have a good reputation. Although the sea noodle restaurant of Kung Fu is not expensive, it is not authentic to China people and can only be used as a leisure choice.

In terms of paid restaurants, the personal order is as follows: sapphire princess and quantum of the seas Tianhai cruise ship Selena.

Four accommodation experiences

As long as it is a regular cruise ship, LCD TV, safe, refrigerator, shower and hair dryer are all standard in the room. What needs to be compared is the service awareness and extra daily necessities provided by different ships.

In Selena's cabin crew, the proportion of flight attendants who can speak Chinese is high, and daily communication is quite convenient, which provides convenience for middle-aged and elderly guests with poor foreign languages. However, there are too few domestic channels for indoor TV, and the movie channel has only 2-3 movies, which is very inconvenient.

In addition, if you are a non-suite guest, you need to bring your own slippers, which is another inconvenience.

As a former exquisite cruise ship, Sky Cruise New Century has inherited the design ingenuity of Royal Caribbean Department (exquisite cruise ship is a high-end brand owned by the royal family) in cabin. Even if you live in the smallest room, there will be no embarrassment of insufficient storage space. You can watch Hunan Satellite TV, Zhejiang Satellite TV and other domestic mainstream channels in your room, or you can continue to follow the drama on the boat.

In addition, toothpaste, toothbrush and slippers are provided to each guest regardless of class. Considering that the price of ta is almost the lowest S home port in Shanghai, this treatment is simply touching (no, I don't wear black Costa).

Sapphire princess has always claimed to provide princess courtesy, and the person who put forward this stunt has obviously heard the story of princess and pea. All cabins are equipped with L L 'Occitane Bath Four-piece Set; There is also a washing bag, which contains razors, cotton, cotton swabs, eye masks and so on. In addition, free mineral water, sweet sleeping chocolate and story cards are provided every day (note: 16 12 I brushed the princess again. Indeed, as a friend pointed out, the princess's service is different. The net content of L 'Occitane suit has been reduced by half, and the eye mask and bathrobe are gone. Mineral water is only provided once. )

In addition, the TV in the room can not only receive most mainstream channels in China, but also bring its own powerful on-demand system. There are nearly 100 latest blockbusters at home and abroad, so it won't be boring if you don't do this. Do not go out.

The decoration of the ocean quantum cabin is a highlight. As a new ship launched in the second half of 14, the room design is fashionable and beautiful, the facilities are novel and there are many movie channels.

The most surprising thing is the number of sockets in the room, plus five USB ports. People who travel with their families will eventually have to endure the alternating charging of electronic devices.

In terms of accommodation experience, the personal ranking is as follows: sapphire princess = New Century Ocean Quantum Sky Sea Selena.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) entertainment facilities

The aquatic facilities on the Selena are a highlight. There are three swimming pools and a water slide on board.

A cinema with a canopy on the deck, a jogging track and a sports field are also standard, so don't worry about the boring time on the deck. If the weather is bad, the swimming pool has a sliding dome to keep out the wind and rain.

For young people who are looking for novelty and excitement, there are F 1 simulated racing cars, 4D cinemas and video game entertainment centers. However, these facilities are all charged, and I have never tried them.

The new century sky tour is mainly equipped with swimming pool, sea golf, basketball court and gym, which are already standard facilities; In terms of on-board shopping shops, in addition to the standard international big-name duty-free shops, there are also drugstores, tobacco hotels and luggage shops.

The most distinctive entertainment at sea was originally the deck trampoline, but the last few voyages were under maintenance, so I could only look at the photos and missed an attempt.

The theme of sapphire princess is mainly eating and relaxing, and there are not many novel facilities. There is a swimming pool star cinema on the deck, with clear picture quality and excellent sound effect, and free popcorn is also provided. In addition, there are two indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a large fitness center. During the time on the ship, everyone basically gathered in snack bars, cafeterias, deck ice cream shops and other places where free meals were provided, so it was convenient to eat and play.

If the ship mentioned above is an ocean leisure center, then quantum of the seas must be an ocean amusement park. It is unfair to compare it with other ships. In addition to the gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, there are bumper cars, XBOX, surfing, rock climbing, Polaris sightseeing bus tour, wind tunnel experience, ice skating and robot wine mixing, all of which are free. (Note: Royal Caribbean Company 10 released a new policy on 10 on 29 October, and the charges for the two facilities began on 30 February/0. Polaris sightseeing bus is $20/person and deck skydiving is $26/person).

In terms of entertainment facilities, the personal ranking is: Ocean Quantum Princess Cruise Tianhai Cruise.

VI activity performance

As an Italian-style cruise ship, selena is a big selling point for beautiful Italian men and women. 755-79000 is a classic song on the ship. Although the cultural connotation of ancient Rome is not easy to understand, the sculptural handsome men and women are impressive.

There is also a free performance by Costa on board. Tickets can be purchased from the first night of sailing. The earlier you buy a ticket, the better the location. Although it is a topless performance, it is not obscene, and it is still full of elegant artistic beauty (considering the relevant national laws and regulations, the pictures will not be displayed).

As a local cruise ship, SkyCruisesNewCentury has many entertainers from China, and its activities are more grounded. Besides traditional songs and dances, there are acrobatics and other performances. Some guests were invited from domestic variety shows.

Supplement: 20 16, there will be mythical people singing in Tianhai.

The entertainment performance on Princess Sapphire is mainly a Broadway-style professional song and dance performance, and the sound effects are performed by the live orchestra, which is very shocking. There will also be a female band performance and a kitchen tour. Although in retrospect, no activity is particularly impressive, it is completely enough as a choice for leisure and entertainment.

On the quantum of the seas, you can see the highest level live-action performances in China, none of them. China's got talent, China's good voice and the Odyssey of music and dance will be packed even in the first-tier cities in China. Musicians pluck the huge strings hanging in the air, dancers tap the clouds and drums in the air, tall and beautiful dancers show you colorful secret underwear, and the 270-degree giant curtain wall explodes and then breaks.

In terms of activities and performances, the personal order is: ocean quantum princess Selena cruise ship Tianhai cruise ship.

Seven abstracts

The tonnage, passenger capacity and reference price of the four ships are as above (the price of cruise ships fluctuates greatly in peak season, and the price is for reference only).

Generally speaking, quantum of the seas is outstanding in all aspects, with almost no obvious disadvantage (if you have to choose, the capacity of 4,000 passengers will make the whole ship very noisy), but the price is much higher than other ships. If you want to be scared out of your wits, enjoy it. This is the best ship in Asia.

The price of Princess Sapphire is second only to Ocean Quantum, and all the hardware and software on board are above average. Food is a highlight. Quiet atmosphere, high-quality waiter, this is a holiday-oriented choice. (Note: I brushed the princess again at 16 and 12, and found that the level of the princess has dropped a lot, and the attitude of the waiters is generally not as good as before; The main restaurant must take the initiative to provide dessert menu; Bathrobe is no longer provided for non-suites. sapphire princess will leave China in April 17, and then Princess Shi Sheng will come to China in July. Looking forward to the surprise of Princess Shi Sheng)

Selena's price is very grounded, but correspondingly, there are not many free facilities on board. Although there is no choice of hardware, the accommodation is maintained at a normal level, but the additional services are slightly poor (mainly reflected in the lack of free drinks and slippers in non-suites, etc. However, if you have never been on a large foreign cruise, this is the starting point of a cruise experience.

Skyliner New Century is the lowest price among the above four ships. Due to the limitation of tonnage, the hardware is slightly inferior to Selena, and there are no fashionable facilities. However, the software is good. Musicians will play the violin during meals, the restaurant will provide free drinks such as juice and chocolate, and toiletries and slippers will be provided in the room. If the budget is not plentiful, you can try this mixed-race local cruise ship.

2. Atlantic Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean Cruises: Ocean Spectra, Ocean Quantum and Ocean Navigator. Among them, the ocean spectrum will serve the home port of China all year round.

Costa Cruises: Venice, Selena, Atlantic Ocean, New Romance. Venice serves China's home port all year round. Another new ship, Florence, will arrive in 65438+February, and its voyage has not been announced.

Princess cruise: Princess Sapphire, mainly in summer.

Star Cruises: World Dream and Discovery Dream. Dream World serves the South China market all the year round.

MSC Mediterranean Cruises: Glory will leave China and be replaced by greater and newer glory.

Star Cruises: Gemini

Star Cruise: Gulangyu Island

Bohai Cruise: Mount Tai, China

Let's first analyze the cruise situation of each home port.

East China home port:

The American home port in Shanghai is still the most important home port in China, with cruise ships stopping all year round, reaching its peak in the summer vacation in July and August. You can choose from Ocean Spectrum, Ocean Voyager, sapphire princess, MSC Glory, Atlantic Ocean and Dream of Exploration. Among them, Ocean Spectrum and MSC Glory are flagship new ships, most of which have just been renovated. It can be seen that the major cruise companies still regard Shanghai as the first important town of the home port.

Home port of North China:

Tianjin's home port is the most important originating city in the North China market. Next year, Selena, Ocean Quantum, Dream of Discovery, MSC Glory and Gulangyu can be selected. Among them, the Selena serves the home port of the United States in Tianjin all the year round, and other cruise schedules are mainly concentrated near the summer vacation.

South China home port:

South China's home port group mainly includes Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Dream serves the home port of South China in the United States, and Venice and Atlantic Ocean serve the home port of Shenzhen in turn.

Cruise destination:

Japan still occupies the dominant position in the home port cruise market destination, and most of the ports departing from East China and North China are Japan. Different from previous years, the number of American voyages has increased significantly this year, and we can visit Japan more deeply.

There are relatively many market choices in South China. Besides Japan, you can also choose to go to the Philippines and Vietnam.

3. Introduction to the Atlantic Cruise

Cruise ship is one of the special postal vehicles, and it also transports passengers. Cruise ships are usually sightseeing.

In the early days of postal service, Intercontinental Post relied on mail boats to transport letters and parcels from one coast to another. These British ships often have to fly the Royal Mail signal flag.

After 1850, Royal Mail allowed private shipping companies to help them deliver letters and parcels through contracts. As a result of this change, some ocean liners originally belonging to passenger transport companies have become ocean liners with signal flags. The word ocean cruise was born.

Extended information:

Cruise ships have a history of 100 years abroad. /kloc-At the beginning of the 0/9th century, due to the immaturity of aircraft technology, some people began to board cruise ships to cross the ocean, and cruise tourism began to develop; But the most important function of cruise ships is to transport mail and immigrants.

With the maturity of aircraft technology, wealthy and leisure aristocrats like fast air travel, while immigrants choose fast, economical and comfortable ways to cross the ocean. 1985, the cruise ship France withdrew from the Atlantic route, and the cruise ship withdrew from the historical stage, marking the end of a great sailing era.

Strictly speaking, luxury passenger ships can only be regarded as cruise ships. The last cruise ship in history was the Queen Elizabeth II, and the other was the Queen Mary Ⅱ.

4. Introduction of Costa Cruises Atlantic Company

Visa exemption for foreign tour groups 15 days.

Cruise entry and exit procedures, support foreign tour groups to take the cruise to implement 15 days visa-free entry. Foreign tour groups with two or more persons can be organized, received and arranged by legally registered travel agencies in China, and they can participate in the tour without a visa from Shanghai Cruise Port. From the next day of entry, the stay will not exceed 15 days, and the scope of activities is limited.

On the day of boarding, the travel agency leader must bring the original valid exit list of the team and prepare the travel documents of all team members, including passports and air tickets, and then go through the relevant formalities at the ticket counter. But not all cruise ships to Japan are visa-free. Visa exemption for China cruise tourists requires each shipping company to apply to the Japanese authorities on a ship-by-ship basis, and it can only be implemented after approval.

It is reported that there are 1 1 cruise ships that have been granted visa-free entry at present, namely: Mount Tai, Costa Victoria, Costa Atlantic, Costa Selena, Chu heroine, Millennium, marine sailor, Nadika, ms albatross, Ocean Dream and Aquarius Star. Among them, the cruise ships departing from Shanghai this year mainly include Mount Tai in China, Victoria in Costa Rica, Atlantic in Costa Rica, Selena in Costa Rica, and marine sailors.

5. Atlantic cruise guide

Cruise routes in the Mediterranean are roughly divided into two parts: the eastern route starts from Venice, passes through Croatia, Greek Islands and Turkey, and some routes reach Egypt and Israel; There are many ports of origin on the Western Line, which generally pass through Rome, savona, Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Tunisia, Sicily and Naples, and some call at Cannes, Nice or Canary Islands. These ports enter the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.

6. Atlantic cruise ships

No tickets, make an appointment to spend.

The cruise ship No.34 Minghua No.34 was built by the French Atlantic Shipyard?

The whole cruise ship is quite large, with a total length of 168M, nine floors and a displacement of14000t.

Now, it stays quietly in Shenzhen Bay and becomes a landscape in Shekou, Shenzhen. It used to be a luxury cruise ship, but now it has been transformed into a restaurant hotel.

7. Oceania Cruise Line

1. Prelude floating boat/Prelude FLNG(488)

As a ship transporting natural gas processing plants, how does a floating ship process natural gas? In fact, the drilling platform sends gas to the ship through the pipeline, and then the ship removes impurities, separates qualified natural gas, then liquefies it under pressure, and finally connects it to the LNG ship.

2. Knocking nevus (458.45 meters)

The second longest super cruise ship in the world is longer than the largest aircraft carrier 126 meters. The voyage history of Nok Nevis can be described as bumpy and tragic. It suffered from war and sank at the bottom of the sea for eight years. After more than ten years of salvage and restoration, it ended its sailing career and is now used in natural history exhibitions.

3. Pierre Guillaume (414.23m)

The super-large ships built in the 1970s were registered in France, with a maximum tonnage of over 5 million tons.

4. Combat (length 414.22m)

Compared with the previous super ships, the battleship's sailing life is much shorter, and it was abandoned after less than ten years of operation.

5. Esso Atlantic (406.57m)

Another giant oil tanker stands out among the many oil tankers counted today. After all, the biggest feature of this ship is its long service life, up to 35 years.

6. Maersk McKinney Miller (399 million)