SHANGHAI, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's second domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, was delivered in Shanghai on Friday.
The cruise ship, which features distinctive Chinese-style characteristics, is scheduled to launch its inaugural season from the Nansha International Cruise Home Port in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province in south China.
Adora Flora City was built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Construction of the cruise ship began in August 2022.
Compared with China's first domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, the overall construction efficiency improved by 20 percent, according to project figures. The new ship is larger, with more advanced onboard equipment. Its gross tonnage has increased by 6,400 tonnes to 141,900 tonnes, and its total length has increased by 17.4 meters to 341 meters. It has 2,130 guest cabins and can accommodate 5,232 passengers at full capacity.
Large cruise ships are among the most complex giant system engineering projects in the global industrial system, said Chen Gang, on-site chief commander and chief designer of China's domestically built large cruise ship project.
Adora Flora City has as many as 25 million parts and drives the development of about 1,500 upstream and downstream supporting suppliers, reflecting the country's comprehensive industrial strength and advanced manufacturing level, he added.
With Adora Magic City having operated smoothly for about 250 voyages and Adora Flora City now delivered, China's domestically built large cruise ships have completed a key leap from a single-ship breakthrough to series construction.
"The consecutive delivery of two domestically built large cruise ships is not simply project replication, but a deep and systematic forging of capabilities in the cruise equipment industry," said Li Jianing, general manager assistant of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
"For example, in the construction of Adora Flora City, we introduced augmented reality technology to overlay 3D design models onto the construction site with high precision. Construction workers can directly compare virtual and real models through mobile terminals, reshaping on-site production with digital tools," Li said.
Technological innovation on the cruise ship also shows in passenger-facing areas. "Technology services aren't for show but for a better passenger experience. With mobile check-in and AI, we've achieved contactless, rapid boarding and disembarkation, making the process more efficient and convenient. The ship is equipped with humanoid robots capable of human-like interaction, serving in dining reception, entertainment and shopping," said Guo Jia, assistant vice-president of product and guest experience with Adora Cruises.
The ship has further optimized its hardware facilities. Compared with Adora Magic City, its public areas are more spacious, with new cabin types for families with children also added, better meeting the needs of Chinese consumers.
"We integrate the essence of Chinese culture into the entire chain of dining, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment," Guo said, noting that passengers can taste Cantonese dim sum, hot pot and other "Chinese flavors" on board, and take in special performances.
The localization rate of supporting facilities of Adora Flora City is 5 percentage points higher than that of Adora Magic City. This represents an all-round improvement in technology, management, supply chains and talent teams, and China's large cruise ship development is moving toward systematization and serialization, according to CSSC.
After delivery, Adora Flora City will conduct trial voyages and carry out various preparatory tasks before its scheduled maiden voyage. It is due to arrive at the Nansha International Cruise Home Port on Nov. 12, with its inaugural season set to begin on Nov. 22. ■
