China's first domestically made large cruise ship, named Adora Magic City, was formally delivered over the weekend, a development that experts said marks a breakthrough for China's high-end manufacturing and international cooperation.
Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co - a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp - signed documents formalizing the delivery of Adora Magic City with CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co and Adora Cruises in Shanghai on Saturday, with preparations for its commercial operation fully underway, according to local media outlet Xinmin Daily.
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 on January 1, 2024, have been available since September 20.
The delivery of the first domestically built large cruise ship marks a milestone. It enhances the international status of China's shipbuilding industry, injecting new vitality into China's cruise sector, and shows Chinese industry's open attitude in international cooperation. It's a perfect example of an engineering project in the run-up to the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), which started on Sunday, experts said.
The ship is exhibited at the CIIE with the exhibition area covering about 40 square meters, consisting of a three-meter model of the ship, an L-shaped giant screen and a push rod system for sailing operation.
The delivery of Adora Magic City, produced with the cooperation of more than 30 countries, will be a major driving force for China's cruise making, which will bring more opportunities for international cooperation between China and its global partners, according to a note CSSC Cruises Technology Development, the operator of the ship, sent to the Global Times on Sunday.
It was during the first CIIE in November 2018 that the cruise's design and shipbuilding contract was signed. To build the ship, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding has formed partnerships with hundreds of global suppliers and supporting companies.
This cross-border cooperation encompasses cruise design and construction as well as procurement and other aspects, fully reflecting the international cooperation model, Xie Xiaowen, an expert at the China Communications and Transportation Association, told the Global Times on Saturday.
Large cruise ships, often made by European shipyards, are considered one of the three pearls of the crown of shipbuilding, with the other two being aircraft carriers and large liquefied natural gas vessels. The fact that China is able to build aircraft carriers, large LNG containers and large cruise ships reflects the country's shipbuilding capability, experts said.
This is because the construction of large cruise ships tests a country's shipbuilding technology and requires a high-standard management model and supporting industries, which tells a country's comprehensive manufacturing and technology levels, Xie noted.
Take the Adora Magic City as an example. It's the world's most complex single electromechanical vessel with more than 25 million parts, about five times the number of individual parts used in China's first domestic aircraft, the C919.
In more than three years of construction, the project team made three crucial tech breakthroughs, on weight control, vibration and noise reduction, and the vessel's safe return to port.
The difficult part relates to how to ensure comfort and safety, and how to integrate many systems, including the ship itself, hotels, entertainment, information, communications and automation, said Yang Guobing, chairman of CSSC Cruises Technology Development.
Passengers can enjoy a series of performances on Adora Magic City, including sitcoms and immersive music shows. A musical drama called Marco Polo: an Untold Love Story will be staged in the theater, which can hold up to 1,000 people, according to the ship operator.
The delivery of the Adora Magic City is of great significance to the development of China's cruise industry as it achieves breakthroughs in the field of homegrown large cruise ships, making China the fifth country capable of building large cruise ships.
The ship will sail on international cruise routes with Shanghai as its home port and operate along the Maritime Silk Road, according to Chinese media reports.
As cruises are an important part of the international tourism market, the commercial operation of domestic cruise ships could promote China's cooperation with other countries in tourism, culture and other aspects, Wang Peng, associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Saturday.
According to a report by the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the cruise ship industry could contribute 550 billion yuan ($77.5 billion) in economic output to the economy by 2035. About 15 percent of that amount would be created by the building of new ships and associated maintenance.