China’s first home-grown large cruise liner, the Adora Magic City, weighing 135,500 tonnes, departed from its dock in Shanghai on Tuesday. This marks a major breakthrough for China’s shipbuilding and high-end manufacturing industries, following the recent launch of the C919 passenger jet.
The construction of the Adora Magic City took nearly four years to complete. The cruise liner will now undergo a series of sea trials, further solidifying China’s growing presence in the maritime industry. Shanghai’s Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, manufactured this large cruise liner.
The ship measures 323.6 meters in length and weighs 135,500 tons. It features a total of 2,125 guest rooms and has the capacity to accommodate 5,246 people. Following a six-day floating process, the ship departed from Shanghai. The next step for the vessel involves berthing at an SWS wharf, where final testing and interior work will be carried out.
The vessel is as tall as a 24-floor building. It comprises 14 decks, accommodating a wide range of leisure and accommodation areas that span over 40,000 square meters of public space. Notably, it will house China’s largest duty-free retail space at sea. Moreover, the Adora Magic City holds the distinction of being the world’s first cruise ship equipped with 5G technology, enabling advanced connectivity capabilities onboard.
The trial voyage of the ship is scheduled to commence in July, followed by a second trial voyage in August. The primary objective is to successfully complete and deliver the ship before the conclusion of the year. Following the two sea trials, the ship is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2023. Commercial operation is expected to commence in 2024.
Departing from Shanghai, the ship is set to embark on voyages to Japan and Southeast Asia, catering to medium and long routes along the Maritime Silk Road.
The Adora Magic City has achieved the distinction of being the world’s most intricate single electromechanical vessel. With an impressive count of over 25 million parts, it surpasses the number of individual components utilized in China’s inaugural domestic aircraft, the C919. Furthermore, the Adora Magic City surpasses the number of parts found in the Fuxing bullet train series by an impressive thirteenfold. This notable accomplishment highlights China’s engineering capabilities.
This state-of-the-art liner stands as China’s latest triumph in high-end ship production, filling the void in its maritime portfolio. Upon the ship’s delivery, China will join the ranks of Germany, France, Italy, and Finland as the fifth country capable of constructing large cruise ships. This achievement further solidifies China’s position as a leading player in the global shipbuilding industry.
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