Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co – a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation – signed the relevant documents formalizing the delivery of the Adora Magic City with CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co and Adora Cruises Limited in Shanghai on Saturday, with preparation for commercial operation fully underway, according to local media outlet Xinmin Daily.
The large cruise ship which is 323.6 meters long and weighs 135,500 tons has 2,125 guest rooms, 22 unique restaurants and bars, and can accommodate 5,246 people. Tickets for the maiden voyage, which is expected to depart on January 1, 2024, have been available since September 20.
The delivery of the first domestically-built large cruise ship marks a significant milestone as it not only enhances the international status of China’s shipbuilding industry, injecting new vitality into the development of China’s cruise sector, but also shows China’s open attitude and strength in international cooperation, which is a perfect example of engineering project in the runup to the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), experts said.
Large cruise ships, most of which have been made by European shipyards, are dubbed one of the “three pearls on 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 carriers and large cruise ships at the same time is undoubtedly a major achievement of the country’s shipbuilding and high-end manufacturing, experts said.
This is because the construction of large cruise ships not only test a country’s shipbuilding technology prowess, but also requires high-standard management model and supporting industries, which directly reflects a country’s equipment building capacity and comprehensive science and technology levels, Xie Xiaowen, an expert from the China Communications and Transportation Association, told the Global Times on Saturday.
Take the Adora Magic City as an example. This ship is the world’s most complex single electromechanical vessel with more than 25 million parts, five times the number of individual parts used in China’s first domestic aircraft, the C919, and 13 times the number used in the Fuxing bullet train series.
Also, the delivery of the Adora Magic City is of great significance to the development of China’s cruise industry. The cruise 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 important part of the international tourism market, the commercial operation of domestic cruise could also promote China’s cooperation with other countries in tourism, culture and other aspects, Wang Peng, associate researcher from 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 Chinese economy by 2035. About 15 percent of the sum would be created by the building of new ships and associated maintenance.
The delivery of the Adora Magic City is not just a symbol of technological and industrial advancement, but also an important model project of China’s cooperation and exchanges with the rest of the world.
It is during the first CIIE that CSSC signed a contract to build 2+4 Vista-class cruise ships of 135,000 tons with American Carnival Cruise Lines and Italy’s Fincantieri, marking the commencement of design and construction of the first large cruise ship in China.
To build the large cruise ship, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding partnered with hundreds of global suppliers and supporting companies.
This cross-border and multi-party cooperation is not only limited to design and construction, but also includes procurement and other aspects, fully reflects the international cooperation model, Xie noted.
(Global Times)
