China's cruise sector moves into new phase

China's cruise sector has entered a new phase in developing a complete industrial chain, with the successful undocking of its second domestically made large cruise ship alongside agreements reached for building two more vessels, officials said.

A ceremony was held on Friday at the shipbuilder, China State Shipbuilding Corp Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co, to celebrate the full transition of Adora Flora City into the dock mooring debugging stage.

Wang Guoqiang, general manager of CSSC, called it a new milestone in the innovative development of the country's cruise sector, saying that the industry has entered a new era of high-quality and sustainable development. "Construction began in August 2022, and it has taken nearly four years for the second homegrown cruise ship to reach its current stage, paving the way for its delivery by the end of this year," Wang said.

Compared to Adora Magic City, the nation's first domestically built cruise ship, the construction time for this newest vessel was shortened by eight months, with overall efficiency improved by more than 20 percent, Wang said.

The new 341-meter-long, 37.2-meter-wide cruise ship, classed as a gigantic engineering project, is currently more than 94 percent complete. It will have 2,130 cabins and can accommodate up to 5,232 guests.

Within this majestic and imposing steel structure are housed over 1, 000 systems, more than 20,000 sets of key equipment, over 25 million components and parts, and more than 4,700 kilometers of cables. Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co said a cruise industrial chain involving 1,500 suppliers at home and abroad is taking shape.

Fan Yunjun, general manager of China Tourism Group, said that this landmark achievement is a result of in-depth integration between the shipbuilding industry and the cultural tourism sector.

"Adora Flora City will be operated based on the experience gained through China International Cruises, a subsidiary of China Tourism Group, which will ensure the future cruise vessel operates efficiently," Fan said.

According to Fan, China Cruises currently operates four cruise ships, including Adora Magic City.

On Friday, a memorandum of understanding was signed between China State Shipbuilding Corp and China Tourism Group, under which cooperation in the design, construction and operational management of large cruise ships will be carried out by the two parties. According to the agreement, efforts will be made to ensure the delivery of the first ship of the new batch before the end of 2030.

"It's long been the dream of the nation and the Chinese people to one day travel around the world on cruise ships designed, constructed and operated by Chinese companies. The formation of a complete industrial chain creates huge potential for exploring the Chinese cruise market," said Fan.

According to Li Ming, CEO of China Cruises, scheduled to kick off regular operations by the end of 2026, Adora Flora City will make Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, its home port.