Cruise & Cruise Line

Majestic Princess Officially Named by Yao Ming and Ye Li

Image: PHOTO: Yao Ming (right) and Ye Li (left) will name Princess Cruises' new Majestic Princess. (photo courtesy of Princess Cruises)
Image: PHOTO: Yao Ming (right) and Ye Li (left) will name Princess Cruises' new Majestic Princess. (photo courtesy of Princess Cruises)
Jason Leppert
by Jason Leppert
Last updated: 2:14 PM ET, Tue July 18, 2017

Princess Cruises' latest ship, the Majestic Princess has been officially introduced to the world and specifically China, where it will first be marketed.

NBA Legend Yao Ming and his wife Ye Li named the new ship in Shanghai.

Also present for the ceremony was Wang Hong, the party secretary of Baoshan District and director general of Shanghai International Cruise Business Institute; Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc; and Jan Swartz, group president, Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia.

"The Majestic Princess inaugural celebration was remarkable for Princess Cruises as well as Carnival Corporation, as we continue to strategically reinforce our long-term commitment to the growing cruise industry in China," said Donald, in a press release.

"We believe all Chinese families will appreciate the value of cruising as a new vacation option and create life-long memories from their experiences aboard Majestic Princess."

Swartz added, in the press release, "Majestic Princess, our new flagship, is a perfect demonstration of an 'East meets West' international cruise vacation experience. Representing over 50 years of experience, we are confident Majestic Princess has redefined the luxury cruising experience."

Part of the said experience includes two specialty dinner menus exclusively from Michelin star-winning chefs Emmanuel Renaut (La Mer) and Richard Chen (Harmony). Also showcased is the world-class "Fantastic Journey" production show complete with high-tech drones and video mapping, as well as the largest duty-free shops at sea according to the line.

Other signature Princess features aboard Majestic include the new "Camp Discovery" youth program and the Princess Luxury Bed from board-certified doctor and sleep expert, Michael Breus, PhD.

Inaugural ceremony attendees had the opportunity to sample these amenities, activities and more while onboard.

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As for the masters of ceremonies, Yao Ming said, in the press release, "We are honored to serve as the Majestic Princess Naming Ambassadors for Princess Cruises. I'm inspired that Princess Cruises also cares so deeply about youth development in China and appreciate their support of our foundation. We look forward to enjoying a future cruise vacation aboard Majestic Princess."

Shanghai will serve as Majestic Princess' current Chinese homeport to several destinations.

By 2018, a pair of two-week sailings will journey between Shanghai and Singapore calling on Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. Later in the year, Majestic will head to Australia and the South Pacific from September 2018 to March 2019.


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Jason Leppert

Jason Leppert

Jason Leppert - Senior Writer, Cruises and Cruise Travel - is a San Diego-based cruising expert with more than 100 sailings under his belt and a fresh, youthful perspective on the industry. He has been cruising since before he was two years old, thanks to his parents' shared passion for traveling and their desire to experience all journeys together as a family. He is the founding editor of PopularCruising.com and producer of the successful Popular Cruising YouTube channel. He also contributes to the Travel Channel; Cruise Travel, Porthole and Lonely Planet magazines; Onboard.com; ShermansCruise.com; MiceChat.com and the Cruise Radio podcast.

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