Astro Ocean Cruises held a ceremony onboard the Piano Land in Shanghai to celebrate the resumption of its cruise operations after a four-year hiatus.

According to a report shared by the China-based company, the event took place in the ship’s Xinghai Theater and was attended by over 400 guests.

Among those present were relevant authorities from Shanghai and the Baoshan District, port officials, industry association members, and representatives of travel agencies and partner companies, Astro Ocean said.

Following the event, which took place on July 24, the Piano Land resumed revenue service with a series of short cruises departing from the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port.

In a special video named “Thank for Your Patience,” Astro Ocean highlighted the path that led to its operation restart.

“In order to resume service, we have never stopped… and planned for various resumption possibilities,” the company said.

“Time has witnessed all of our efforts as we continue to optimize ship performance and improve service quality,” Astro Ocean continued.

“The crew worked day and night to practice their skills and, at the moment of the resumption, welcome every guest with the most enthusiastic and professional attitude.”

After sailing from Shanghai on July 25, the first cruise will sail to South Korea and Japan as part of a four-night itinerary.

As part of its return deployment, the Piano Land is set to offer four- to eight-night itineraries to several destinations in the region, including Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Sasebo, Kagoshima and Jeju.

A joint venture between CTS (China Travel Services Group) and COSCO (China Ocean Shipping), Astro Ocean Cruises operates P&O Cruises’ former Oriana.

Renamed Piano Land, the 1995-built vessel was acquired by the company in 2019 but remained out of service since early 2020.

As part of its restart efforts, Astro Ocean promises to provide Chinese guests with an “intimate cruise product” that features international-style services that are “Chinese at heart.”