Viking’s joint venture cruise line in partnership with China Merchants is set to start operating as of August 22, according to a number of Chinese travel agencies that are now selling tickets aboard the eight-day sailing on the Viking Sun.
The 930-guest Viking ship was transferred to China Merchants in 2020, it will now carry the name Zhao Shang Yi Dun and sail under the Chinese flag.
The initial deployment consists of four cruises roundtrip from Shenzhen and calling in Sanya as part of the Chinese government’s start up of its local cruise industry, giving the nod to Chinese-flagged ships that follow new health and safety protocols released in July.
Astro Ocean Cruises is also expected to start up in August. Other ships that are Chinese flagged include the former Sun Princess, now the Charming, and will be followed by the Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea later this year, according to sources in China. The two Costa ships have been transferred to China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) but are expected to be operated under the Costa brand.
