Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce its first ship customized for the Chinese market in 2017, said the company in a statement, as the second Norwegian Breakway-plus class vessel will head for China.

Currently under construction in Germany, the new ship is designed specifically for the China market with accommodations, cuisine and onboard experiences that cater to the unique vacation preferences of Chinese guests, said Norwegian.

“Our new purpose-built ship for China will have characteristics that are authentic to Norwegian Cruise Line and yet distinctively Chinese in all of its sensibility,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO.  “With this new ship, Norwegian will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into the marketplace, with an unrivaled level of customization for the Chinese consumer.  It will perfectly suit what modern Chinese travelers value from an upscale cruise experience.”

Working with partners in China and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture, Chinese guests who sail on this new ship “will be provided with unmatched service, cuisine, entertainment and an overall experience that is simply not available in the China market today,” said Norwegian.

Additional details, including the ship’s name, homeport, accommodations, dining and entertainment will be shared in the coming months.

To better support the company’s expansion efforts in China, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has opened offices in Beijing (Guomao CBD) and Hong Kong (Quarry Bay) and today opens its Shanghai office in Xintiandi.

These China-based offices support all three brands in the company’s portfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises which span the upper end of the contemporary, premium, and luxury cruise categories and relevant to each segment and each stage in the Chinese consumer life cycle.

“Our China offices house a dedicated leadership team uniquely focused on ensuring the success of our local travel agent partners, which is crucial to the success of our expansion in what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market,” said Del Rio.  “These offices will provide sales and marketing support to our travel partners whose customers not only wish to sail on our new China-based ship, but also on any of the incredible voyages around the world offered across our portfolio of brands.”

The new China-based ship will be delivered in Spring 2017. Norwegian will take delivery of the line’s first Breakaway Plus class ship, Norwegian Escape, next week on October 22. Two additional ships in this class are on order for delivery in 2018 and 2019.