'Blue Dream Melody' to set sail on 'Epic Voyage to the West'

The "Blue Dream Melody" cruise liner is scheduled to set sail on a 33-night tour from Shanghai North Bund International Passenger Center Cruise Terminal in Hongkou District in November, replicating the epic route of China's legendary mariner Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas.

The "Epic Voyage to the West · Blue Dream Melody 33-Night Long Voyage" 100-day countdown was marked on Thursday at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in Xuhui District.

The ship operated by Shanghai Blue Dream International Cruise Co Ltd can host 1,580 passengers and boasts six restaurants, four bars, and a cafe, as well as a theater, swimming and spa facilities, and a beauty salon.

Echoing camel bells along the Silk Road, the voyage will visit 15 ports in Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, with 17 stops.

The route not only pays tribute to the historical feat of Zheng's expeditions 600 years ago, which opened the Maritime Silk Road, but also actively responds to the national "Belt and Road" initiative, filling the void of ultra-long cruise routes departing from domestic ports over the past decade.

Most cruise routes setting sail from Shanghai range between four and six days, and the ports are mostly concentrated in Japan and South Korea, with a certain degree of homogenization in competition, explained Xu Ying, general manager of Blue Dream Cruises.

To address this, Blue Dream has launched several medium to long routes of one week to more than 10 days, and for the first time, has scheduled the 33-night ultra-long route, said Xu.

"This is not only due to the policy dividends of visa exemptions for Chinese citizens from a batch of Southeast Asian countries but also indicates that Chinese-funded cruises have acquired the capability to develop and operate ultra-long routes," she added.

The Silk Road, with its winding path and ringing camel bells, has resonated through the ages. Chinese envoy Zhang Qian was twice sent to Central Asia on missions of peace and friendship more than 2,100 years ago, starting the Silk Road linking the East and West, Asia and Europe.

Six hundred years ago, during the prosperous Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Zheng set sail on seven voyages to the West, depicting the historical landscape of Chinese civilization intersecting with the Maritime Silk Road.

The epic cruise voyage will take passengers to visit seven ASEAN countries – Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines, passing through eight world heritage sites and experiencing five major cultural circles.

Along the way, travelers will immerse themselves in breathtaking beautiful and magnificent scenery and experience how cultures thrive through exchange and renew through mutual learning, enjoying a feast for the soul and senses.

Blue Dream Cruises has partnered with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to bring the sound of the nation to the sea, composing a new chapter on the Maritime Silk Road.

Currently, about one-third rooms of the 33-night ultra-long cruise route have been reserved.

Travelers aged between 45 and 70 hold an advantage, including many travel enthusiasts with rich overseas travel experience, as well as some people who are particularly interested in cruises, music, or gourmet food, according to the cruise operator.

Liu Jianbin, one of the core designers of the route, revealed that a group of Singaporean tourists will board the cruise when it stops in Singapore to experience the subsequent voyage.

"They feel that this is the maritime route their ancestors took when they went to the South Seas, and they hope to use this cruise route for a 'roots-exploring journey'," Liu said.

The entire cruise market of China was still recovering and had not yet reached the level of the same period in 2019, while consumption concepts and habits of cruise tourists had changed significantly since the COVID pandemic, industry insiders said.

That required cruise operators to innovate products to adapt to the new wants and habits of tourists, and the 33-night ultra-long route is one of the latest attempts.

The inaugural Shanghai International Cruise Festival opened on Saturday to fully tap into the cruise travel market and enhance the city's appeal to local and inbound tourists.

The Shanghai International Cruise Port has become the leading cruise home port in Asia and the fourth-busiest globally.

In the first half of this year, the city's two cruise ports, the Wusongkou and North Bund cruise terminals, received 89 cruise ships and about 592,700 passengers.