The Sapphire Princess, the largest cruise ship ever to visit Shanghai, arrived at Waigaoqiao Dock on Monday. The ship, which took its maiden voyage in November, is about 300 meters long, 18 stories tall and weighs 113,000 tons.

It is also the largest ship cruising the Asia Pacific region, according to Jonathan Cheung, director of China market development for P&O Travel, Princess Cruises' Hong Kong representative.

The ship set out on March 26 from Bangkok, Thailand, for its first Southeast Asian cruise, carrying more than 2,600 passengers, mostly from Europe and the United States.

"I came to Shanghai with the Regal Princess two years ago. It's a good city," said Captain Attilio Guerrini. "The dock here is big enough to host large ships like ours, but it's a pity that it is located too far away from downtown."

The price of a 16-day Southeast Asia/China cruise is US$2,145 for an inside cabin and US$2,395 for an outside cabin.

"Most Chinese still can't accept that traveling by ship is more expensive than by air. So we should wait longer for the local cruise travel market to prosper," said Zhao Dexiang, Shanghai International Travel Service general manager.

The Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission expects to welcome more than 50 international cruise ships this year, carrying tens of thousands of passengers from around the world.

Many cruise companies plan to put their newest large ships on routes that include Shanghai as a destination port, the commission added.

The Sapphire Princess is scheduled to set sail for Pusan, South Korea, from Shanghai, returning for two more days next week.

The Diamond Princess, which is almost the same size and weight as the Sapphire Princess, will visit Shanghai four times between October and November.

(Shanghai Daily April 8, 2005)