• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Viking Yi Dun's 60-day repositioning cruise from China to Europe is underway, making for the ship's first Mandarin-language trans-continental voyage.
Built as Viking Sun, Yi Dun in recent years operated for the China Merchants Viking Cruises Ltd. joint venture before being taken back into the Viking fleet and reflagged from China to Norway.
As part of Viking's strategy to develop the Chinese source market, Yi Dun will sail Mandarin-speaking cruises in the Mediterranean from this fall until spring 2027.
The ship departed Shanghai in early June on a voyage set to call at 27 destinations across 16 countries. Hong Kong, Singapore; Malaysia's Port Klang, Penang and Langkawi; Phuket in Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles and Maldives are all in the charts. After sailing around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, Yi Dun will visit Namibia and Morocco before continuing into the Mediterranean and arriving Barcelona in early August.
The 930-passenger Viking Yi Dun is targeted at the Greater China and Southeast Asia fly-cruise markets, which the company said are "showing strong potential." The current repositioning cruise is sold out.
Airport transfers on embarkation and disembarkation days and shore excursions are included in the fare, along with Wi-Fi, gratuities and taxes.
Dining choices include a daily dim sum trolley in the main restaurant, along with Viking's standard Wintergarden afternoon tea, Manfredi's Italian restaurant, a Norwegian deli and private dining room at The Chef's Table.
Almost every Yi Dun crew member is Chinese or speaks Mandarin and excursions are conducted in Mandarin. Children under 8 years old are not allowed.
Among the future cruises is the 13-day "Mediterranean Odyssey," embarking Sept. 2 from Venice (overnight), sailing to Sibenik, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Naples, Civitavecchia (Rome), Livorno, Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona (overnight).
The 10-day "Greece & the Adriatic," embarking Oct. 5 in Piraeus, will sail to Santorini, Olympia, Corfu, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Piran and Venice. Passengers will spend a pre-cruise overnight in Athens.
Three departures of the 10-day "Empires of the Mediterranean" are offered in November and December. The first embarks in Venice to Ancona, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Crete, Piraeus, Ephesus and Istanbul with a post-cruise overnight. A similar itinerary returns the ship to Venice from Istanbul. The third sailing is from Venice to Barcelona.
Besides the ocean program, Viking operates four Chinese-crewed European river vessels.
Fuente: sea-trade cruise
