First China-owned luxury cruise ship sets sail
China Star spearheads China's luxury cruising market with floating karaoke and Chinese massage
The newly renovated China Star
Legendary Chinese admiral Zheng He (郑和) might well approve.
A Wenzhou-based tycoon is launching mainland China's first cruise ship, and has his sights set on building up a world-class fleet.
China Star's maiden voyage
Billed as "the world's only six-star, twin-hull cruise ship," the 12-deck China Star (中华之星) will embark on her maiden voyage from Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on March 8 at 2.30 p.m.
The 131-meter-long, 295-ton vessel will carry 200 passengers and 200 crew on a two-day, one-night voyage around the South China Sea.
According to China's state-run newspaper, Global Times (in simplified Chinese only), China Star is the onlymainland-owned cruise ship.
The China Star has a checkered history. China Cruises Company Limited (CCCL), bought the 20-year-old Finland-built ship from Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho (何鸿燊) last June for US$45 million and shelled out another US$20 million refurbishing her.
The company changed the 172-cabin cruise liner's name from Asia Star to China Star in order to express its CEO's patriotism.
What’s onboard?
According to Huang Weijian (黄伟建), 40, CEO of CCCL, China Star will be a “high-end business and entertainment venue which will have the normal cruise amenities and be a platform for Chinese mainland culture.”
Chinese features have been included on board to keep passengers from the mainland happy.
“We also added balconies to the cabins, and expanded the biggest one to 24 square meters," said Huang.
Besides Western dishes and drinks, the restaurant serves green tea and traditional Wenzhou fish cakes.
Entertainment facilities include a theater, a karaoke room, a game center, an indoor wine and cigar bar, an open-air bar, a library, two Chinese spas including a foot massage parlor and duty-free shops.
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“Later on, we plan to bring in ‘more culture-oriented events,’ such as holding beauty pageants and inviting film crew to shoot onboard,” Huang added.
China and luxury cruising
China Star is part of the effort for CCCL to realize its ambition of building a “cruise ship fleet” in China.
The company has announced its plan to purchase two to three 1,500-passenger cruise vessels in the next two years.
”The development of cruise tour in mainland China has seen an ‘explosive growth’ in the last two years,” explained Huang. “I’m pretty sure it will be the world’s biggest market for cruise tour shortly.”
Most recent statistics revealed that 790,000 Chinese travelers cruised overseas in 2010, a rise of more than 20 percent on 2009.
And mainland China received 223 international cruise vessels in 2010, which is 42.9 percent more than the previous year.
Although the Middle Kingdom has moored many foreign cruise ships since Costa Cruise took the global lead and entered the market in 2006, no mainland company had stepped into the luxury cruising business before.
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According to Cheng Weihang (郑炜航), general secretary of China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association, the gap in the market was caused by the high investment threshold and Chinese people’s lack of experiences in running cruises.
Next stop, Taiwan
China Star’s first official voyage is due to take place in early May from its homeport, Zhoushan (舟山) in Zhejiang Province, to Kaohsiung and Keelung in Taiwan.
CCCL will launch a series of routes to neighboring countries later on, including Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Most of China Star’s voyages are set to last four to five days.
The cruise will operate a series of trail voyages between now and May though no dates have been announced. Fares range from RMB 1,188-6,888 (US$ 188-US$1,092). Contact China Star Cruise Tour (+86 400 809 5699, www.cruises-china.com) for more information.
Raemin Zhang is a Shanghai-based lifestyle journalist. She is the Chinese-language editor of CNNGo Shanghai.
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Ever watched those TV shows about adventurers heading off into the unknown and wondered how to be an explorer just like them?
Well, exploration is no longer the preserve of a rarefied few. Organizations like the Royal Geographical Society and Explorers Connect have been set up to make exploration inclusive, open to anyone with a sense of adventure.
It's not all about physical endurance either: below are 10 exploration-based tours to little-known parts of the world that the gentleman (or lady) adventurer in the street can join.
The catch? You need a big, jiggly piggy-bank: adventures of a lifetime don't come cheap.
1. Journey down the Congo River
The ambitious undertaking was inspired by the travels of 19th-century explorer Henry Morton Stanley and the Joseph Conrad classic, "Heart of Darkness."
You'll voyage 1,000 kilometers down the Congo by boat, soak up local life and delve into the interior to visit some of the last surviving pygmy tribes. Whiny types will be flung overboard and fed to the piranhas.
Travel in these parts, where little runs to plan, requires patience and stamina. Says Jonny Bealby, fearless founder of Wild Frontiers and the mastermind behind the tour: "Taking commercial adventure travel to the limit, this iconic trip -- in the footsteps of Stanley and the fictional Kurtz -- follows the Congo River on a true journey of discovery through the heart of a land where few venture and few hear much about."
Price US$ 9,504 for the 28-day trip, excluding international flights. Next departure September 2013; +44 (0)20 7736 3968; www.wildfrontiers.co.uk
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2. Paddle through remote islands in Papua New Guinea
If the prospect of sweating your way up to a hissing, spitting volcano isn't intrepid enough, this expedition also offers a rare opportunity to explore wild jungle trails and stay with the shy Bainings and Tolais tribes, known for their secret ceremonies and ritual dances.
The trip ends in the Duke of York islands -- bet you've not heard of those either -- where the locals still barter with shells and you can snorkel in azure waters. The trip is run on a bespoke basis and can be done year round, with no minimum numbers required.
US$ 11,492 per person (based on two sharing) for 14 days, including flights, pre-trip logistical set-up, personalized expedition equipment, private guiding from ex-military and survival specialists as well as local support and all meals and drinks; +44 (0)20 7426 9899; www.epictomato.com
3. Explore New Zealand's Sub-Antarctic Islands
Down Under, the Outback doesn't have the market cornered on remote, hauntingly beautiful landscapes. For starters, there's also Macquarie: designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, it and all the Sub-Antarctic islands are known for their lush landscapes and wildlife.
Only a small number of visitors are allowed on the islands every year, and the best way to join them is via a specialist expedition cruise.
Says Kate Selly, a spokesperson for Orion Expeditions, who run the trips: "This sub-Antarctic voyage gives guests an opportunity to visit one of the planet's most important, bio-diverse regions with volcanic and glacial geological formations and extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna. The islands are a paradise for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts."
From US$ 9,337 for the 12-night trip, leaving December 8, 2012; +44 (0)20 7399 7620; www.orionexpeditions.com
4. Search for petroglyphs in Panama
Yes, Panama is home to the eponymous canal, but who's heard of the Darien Gap? The murky tangle of forest, mountains and swampland separates Panama and Colombia, is home to an Indian tribe called the Embera, and remains untouched by roads.
The area is also the site of mysterious stone carvings dating back to 5000 BC. Bar the team of archaeologists who unearthed them, few have seen them. But you can, if you join the expedition, which is likely to last between two and three weeks.
Figure in jungle trekking, travel by dugout canoes and pack animals, dazzlingly colourful bird species and wildlife, and you're looking at an expedition that'd tantalize Indiana Jones himself. Says Tom Bodkin, founder of Secret Compass: "This promises to be an incredible adventure into an extremely remote and fascinating part of Central America."
Provisional departure in October 2012, cost to be confirmed; +44 (0)20 3239 8038, www.secretcompass.com
5. Cross Greenland
If you're tired of scuttling from one air-con building to the next to escape the sun or are in need of a Bigger Chill, this trek could be it.
The ability to endure discomfort and hardship comes into it -- you'll be dragging a heavy sledge, with temperatures averaging around minus 15 C, for anywhere between 22-30 days, but no technical skills are required and the guide is skilled at gee-ing on participants of all abilities.
There are plenty of rest stops, though you do need to have a realistic idea of what to expect. Says Ian Couch, founder of Adventure Hub: "Crossing Greenland is one of the big three polar journeys. It is challenging, exciting and exposes people to the beauty and rewarding hardship of extreme cold weather travel with a feeling of stunning isolation and appreciation of the natural world."
Reassuringly, pre-trip training sessions for the group to familiarize themselves with kit and each other are included.
US$ 8,710, excluding international flights. Next departure is on March 30, 2012 (with similar dates planned for 2013); +44 (0)75 2500 0933; www.adventurehub.com
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"Travel Trends - Chinese Heading Overseas in Record Numbers" - Thoughtful China
China Travel Tips: Chinese Phrases in Different Situations, Trip Suggestions, Do's and Don'ts
This ebook covers the following topics: Frequently asked questions about China including DO'S and Don'ts; Useful Chinese characters and phrases in different situations with English explanations; Typical Chinese cuisines, how to find them and the related Chinese words; Easy way to have contacts with local Chinese people; Middle price range hotel in Chinese garden style in downtown Beijing; Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy and Tea House in Beijing; Special life experience for overnight in a Chinese Temple in Beijing.This ebook covers the following topics: Frequently asked questions about China including DO'S and Don'ts; Useful Chinese characters and phrases in different situations with English explanations; Typical Chinese cuisines, how to find them and the related Chinese words; Easy way to have contacts with local Chinese people; Middle price range hotel in Chinese garden style in downtown Beijing; Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy and Tea House in Beijing; Special life experience for overnight in a Chinese Temple in Beijing.
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