Leading cruise line Princess Cruises will launch the first trip of its new ship Majestic Princess along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Route in April 2017, according to a company spokesperson.

Majestic Princess will be home-ported in Shanghai and will be the first international vessel designated to serving the Chinese market year-round.

“Princess Cruises are well-known for running the best ship routes. The biggest cruise will debut in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe in 2017,” said Jan Swartz, CEO of the cruise.

Princess Cruises’ China branch held a promotion fair in Kunming recently, in anticipation of the spring launch.

A company spokesperson at the promotion fair said that the cruise will depart from Rome and head for Shanghai via Athens and Dubai.

Potential customers from Kunming were introduced to the vessels inaugural journey itinerary and the online booking system through the website ZYOULUN. The promotion fair will also be held in other main cities in China, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Beijing.