Life's pretty easy at sea

The Lotus spa pool on Princess Cruises' Golden Princess. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Aaalaimed auuises available in Shanghau port

1. Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess

Passenger capacity: 2,678

Tonnage: 115,875

Length: 290 m

Decks: 18

Number of guest cabins: 1,337

World Leaders' Dinner: This unique dining experience is a recreation of the historic State dinner in January 2011, when Barack Obama hosted the former Chinese president Hu Jintao at the White House.

Movies under the stars: At night, the top deck is turned into a movie theater and first-run Hollywood movies will be screened. Guests can find comfortable chaise lounges with cozy blankets, complimentary snacks and drinks.

Princess Night: Herbal teas, scented linen sprays, eyeshades and earplugs, and even a bed-time story are delivered to guests’ beds by friendly stewards.

Main routes: A four- or five-day journey usually takes in Jeju Island, Busan or Seoul, all in South Korea; a five-day trip can travel to Jeju Island and Japan's Fukuoka city and Kagoshima prefecture.

2. Star Cruises' Superstar Gemini

Passenger capacity: 1,704

Tonnage: 19,093

Length: 164 m

Number of guest cabins: 356

Localization: As an entry-level cruise ship, the price is more affordable and the localization of its facilities, food and services is higher so that it’s easier for tourists to adapt to life on board.

Main routes: A six-day journey to South Korea; a seven-day journey to Taiwan.

3. Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas

Passenger capacity: 3,114

Tonnage: 138,279

Length: 310 m

Decks: 15

The biggest in size: Mariner of the Seas is currently the largest cruise liner in Asia. There is a royal avenue shopping street, a real ice skating rink with a capacity of 900 people, a standard basketball court, a 30-meter-high climbing wall on the deck and its signature "Adventure Ocean" youth activity center.

New dining highlights of the year: Lobster night in the main dining hall, hot dog house on the deck by the swimming pool, and the addition of 54 Chinese cuisines available on board.

Wedding ceremony: Sweethearts can have a European-style wedding at sea during the journey. They will have a church ceremony with the captain as chief witness and have their wedding pictures taken.

Main routes: Shanghai to South Korea, four-day trip to Jeju Island and six-day trip to the island and Seoul.

4. Costa Altantica

Passenger capacity: 2,680

Tonnage: 85,619

Length: 253 m

Decks: 12

Number of guest cabins: 1,057

Ship of art: Each deck is named after a film directed by the deceased Italian movie master Federico Fellini and movie stars'pictures are seen everywhere. The cruise liner is crowned "a ship of art" in the industry.

Sports: There is a giant slippery slide with curves that are nearly two stories in height and a standard tennis court on deck.

Main routes: A six-day journey to South Korea; a six-day journey to Taiwan.