VESSEL REVIEW | Qinglu South China Sea – Chinese operator places sightseeing catamarans into service off Shandong province

China’s Qingdao Tourism Group (QTG) recently took delivery of two new luxury sightseeing catamarans built by local company AFAI Southern Shipyard.

Qinglu South China Sea (青旅南海; Qinglu Nanhai) and Qinglu East China Sea (青旅东海; Qinglu Donghai) will be operated by QTG subsidiary the Qingdao Marine Cultural Industry Tourism Group just off the port city of Qingdao in eastern Shandong province.

Lightweight construction promising smoother navigation

Each catamaran has an LOA of 36.5 metres (120 feet), a beam of 9.8 metres (32 feet), a draught of only 1.85 metres (6.06 feet), a depth of 3.55 metres (11.6 feet), space for 200 passengers.

The propulsion delivers a speed of 11.5 knots while the lightweight steel-aluminium construction allows the vessels to operate with lower fuel consumption as well as reduced noise levels for enhanced onboard comfort.

The interiors are spacious, especially in the upper cabin where there are also large windows to provide passengers unobstructed views of Fushan Bay and Qingdao.

The exterior on each vessel meanwhile features an LED strip that is used to generate dynamic light and shadow effects when navigating at night off the coast, providing an on-water light show for onlookers from shore in Shandong.

Built to serve Qingdao City's growing tourism sector

The two new catamarans will be operated by QTG alongside two sightseeing vessels from a different series that were delivered earlier this year by the same builder. The vessels’ regular routes will encompass Fushan Bay in Shandong and the waters around the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre and will be among 15 served by QTG.

The acquisition of the new catamarans was done in anticipation of an increase in passenger numbers – projected to reach 5,000 people per night – during the peak tourism season that often falls between the middle of July and the middle of August each year.