Ship built for China now sails from Singapore

What does a cruise ship originally built for Chinese passengers look like?

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When Ovation of the Seas debuted in April 2016, it was the first major cruise vessel designed with China in mind.

This was Royal Caribbean's bold play for the Chinese cruise market, the fastest growing at the time. Constructed at the renowned Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the 4,182-passenger vessel originally had signage in Chinese and English.

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing was named as the ship’s godmother, presiding over its naming ceremony in Tianjin.

In a special collaboration with China’s The Palace Museum, the ship also displayed historical relics from the Forbidden City.

A 10m-high art installation on the top deck shows an enormous panda reaching for her cub, a symbol of good luck that became a popular photo prop for passengers.

For cruises in and around China, menus were also different from those on most major cruise lines. Breakfasts featured congee with salted duck eggs and all the trimmings, while the onboard gastropub served up a whole fried fish with a Chinese pepper sauce.

In the casino, a second room was added for high rollers, along with games popular with older Chinese patrons, such as Baccarat and Sic Bo.