The Majestic Princess cruise ship at the port of Civitavecchia in Rome, Italy, May 21, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

With a capacity of 7,000 passengers, the ship will travel through the Suez Canal, along the Persian Gulf and into the Indian Ocean before it arrives in Xiamen on June 26.

It will make 22 stops in 13 different countries along the way.

"In the coming days ahead, we will celebrate with passengers from over 40 countries along the Silk Road," said Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

"This is our first time to tell Chinese stories on the ocean. I hope one day we will be telling them in space," she said. "That is my dream."