China's first large domestic cruise ship ready for inaugural voyage

All equipment needed for China's first domestic large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City was installed on Sunday, with 1,292 crew members from around the world boarding for duty. The ship has been officially transferred to the operator and it's ready for the inaugural voyage, according to media reports.

After eight years of research and development and five years of construction, China's first large cruise ship, was officially named and delivered in Shanghai on November 4. Subsequently, the installation and functional verification of supplies such as works of art, hotel amenities and medical equipment commenced, China Media Group (CMG) reported.

More than 3 million items of supplies needed to be loaded, in addition to the tasks of boarding, drills and training for all crew members. This comprehensive process, from construction and delivery to full operation, was seamlessly executed, Zhou Qi, chief builder of large cruise ship projects at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co, said in an interview with CMG.

The vessel was built by the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co and was ordered by Adora Cruises, a cruise brand under a joint venture between Carnival Corp and the China State Shipbuilding Corp.

The ship is set to sail to its operational terminal - the Wusongkou Port in Shanghai - in preparation for its maiden voyage trial operation.

"We have drawn up international cruise routes for guests departing from Shanghai to popular tourist destinations in Northeast Asia. We plan to add more routes," Guo Jia, business development director of Adora Cruises, said in an interview with CMG.

The ship, which is 323.6 meters long and weighs 135,500 tons, has 2,125 guest rooms, 22 unique restaurants and bars, and enough room to accommodate 5,246 people. Tickets for the maiden voyage, scheduled to begin on January 1, 2024, have been available since September 20.

Large cruise ships, along with aircraft carriers and liquefied natural gas carriers, are known as the three "crown jewels" of the shipbuilding industry. The completion of the Adora Magic City has filled the gap of domestic large cruise lines.

China has become the fifth country, following Germany, France, Italy and Finland, with the ability to construct large cruise ships.