Stop asking me if Viking Sun wants a "dealer"

On November 25, 2020, China Merchants Shekou and Viking Cruises announced the official signing of a joint venture agreement to operate a fleet of Chinese-flagged ships and provide coastal cruise services.

Now, this luxury cruise ship "Viking Sun", rated as one of the world's "best small and medium-sized cruise ships" by Cruise Critic, an authoritative industry authority, will fly the five-star red flag. Enter China.

Viking Sun, which made its maiden voyage in 2017, has a displacement of 47,800 tons, a passenger capacity of 930, a crew of 460, and a ship age of 4 years.

The cruise ship plans to create a high-end domestic cruise tour in 2021 with China's domestic destination experience as the core, specially designed for those who are interested in nature, history, folk customs and food culture. In-depth cultural tours are provided for travelers with a strong interest in Kochi.

Viking Sun provided a 245-day global route from 2019 to 2020, visiting 51 countries on six continents and a total of 112 ports, including 22 nights of overnight itineraries. The cheapest room is priced at 66,990 pounds, which is about 610,000 yuan. It was originally planned to take the Nordic route in the summer of 2021.

What does it mean to fly the Chinese flag?

Let’s get rid of the numerous narratives and get to the point directly: For a long time, international cruise ships departing from China’s home port, serving the Chinese market, and providing services to Chinese tourists have almost all flown flags: The Bahamas, Panama, Bermuda, etc. China’s “flag of convenience”.

You must know that due to taxes, restrictions on hiring crew members, trade restrictions, etc., many ships in developed countries choose to register in countries with lower taxes and looser management. This kind of flag registered in another country and using the nationality of that country is called a "flag of convenience". Why is it flying? Because it saves money, just pay the registration fee.

Flying the Chinese flag means that all aspects such as taxation, employment, management, and operation must comply with the laws and regulations of the Chinese government. The most obvious thing is that the ship will mainly employ Chinese employees, and the "insurance" will be paid to the employees in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.

Local cruise ships say goodbye to casinos

There are many entertainment facilities on international luxury cruise ships, and casinos are almost all entertainment facilities equipped on international luxury cruise ships. Casinos are also the most important source of revenue for cruise companies.

But in China, casinos are prohibited, so when this cruise ship flies the Chinese flag, it means that the ship cannot set up a casino, even if you say that Isn't it okay to go to the high seas? Yes, no, because the ship is Chinese. Since there is no casino, it is impossible to recruit related jobs, and naturally there are no dealers!

In the same way, as long as it is a domestic cruise ship (regardless of whether it flies the Chinese flag or not), it will not open a casino department. You said that you have experience working in casinos of other international cruise companies. , if you want to ask if there are any domestic cruise ships recruiting for such positions, stop asking. This cruise ship doesn’t even have a casino, let alone recruiting related positions.

Currently, all international cruises departing from China’s home port are luxury cruises, while the Viking Sun is a luxury cruise ship, belonging to a high-end niche, and there are many cruise trips in the Chinese market made a choice. The luxury here is not only reflected in all aspects of on-board facilities, services, catering, itinerary arrangements, etc. Even the ticket price adopts an all-inclusive system. Gratuities included, WiFi included, shore excursions at port destinations included, and more.

Rich people in China have another option to relax and play