Saturday, July 20, 2024 Blue Dream is growing rapidly, with the Blue Dream Melody departing from Shanghai in early June. This follows the company’s acquisition of the former AIDAvita earlier this year, marking a significant expansion in the Chinese market. “Our first ship was about getting started; the second ship is about standing out, ” said Helene Xu, the general manager.
“Unlike other companies that target specific age groups, we focus on interests. Our aim with the first ship was to establish ourselves as a national brand. The second ship, however, emphasizes a lifestyle centered on health and sustainability,” she explained.
Additionally, the ship’s capacity has been adjusted, reducing the number of staterooms from 633 to 609, while increasing the number of suites from two to 47. This change enhances the ship’s premium cabin offerings. In other moves, the company is intending to slow down its itineraries, and wants guests off the ship more.
All port calls will be at least seven hours, she said. “In the past, shore excursions for Chinese guests were all about shopping, and while we will still offer this for free, we will also have more in-depth tours available including cultural and food and beverage experiences,” Xu told Cruise Industry News. Without a big new ship, the company is focusing on being small and beautiful, Xu said, and offering more time in port.
This summer the plan is to sail from both Shanghai and Qingdao, and the company is planning China’s first-ever interporting operating using Xiamen and Beihai. Itineraries are set to range from four to 11 nights. Investors in the cruise line include state-owned companies with port investments in Qingdao, Shanghai and Zhoushan, which are all expected to be homeports in 2025 .
A regional office has been established in Qingdao, while the company’s headquarters is in Shanghai. Xu said the government should be helping to develop the cruise market. “We need to work together to expand the market pie and not share it,” she said.
“We need to increase cruise awareness and the product understanding; it should not be perceived as a low-price tourism product.” The big news this fall will be a 14-night sailing to Japan, and then a 33-night Asia itinerary with calls in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Guests will be able to board in Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Singapore.
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