China Floats Its Second Domestically Built Cruise Ship, Adora Flora City

China has achieved another milestone by floating out its second domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City after just one year of construction.

The float out took place early Monday at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding yard, as the massive vessel was carefully moved from dry dock to water.

The entire process was completed by 7:30 am, marking a significant phase in ship construction, where the hull is largely complete and interior work begins.

Over 70% of the ship’s construction is already completed.

The Adora Flora City reached this stage far quicker than its predecessor, Adora Magic City, which was around 40% finished at the time of its own float out.

This shows the country’s growing expertise in cruise shipbuilding.

Adora Flora City is larger and more advanced than Adora Magic City. It weighs 141,900 gross tons which is 6,400 tons more than its sister ship, and it measures 341 meters in length, about 17.4 meters longer.

The ship offers increased space and capacity:

2,130 guest rooms, up from the previous ship’s 2,111
Room for 5,232 passengers
16 decks dedicated to living, recreation, and luxury
An extended atrium and larger public areas for smoother passenger movement
Additional indoor and outdoor leisure space totaling over 2,600 square meters

The boarding area has been improved as well, giving passengers a more open and welcoming entry experience.

The heavy use of digital construction technology contributed in the vessel’s rapid progress. Engineers used simulation software to plan every step of the project in advance, enabling faster and more accurate execution.

Over 25 million parts were digitally mapped, allowing for real-time quality check through mobile apps and devices used by the shipyard staff. Workers could view and compare 3D plans on tablets, spotting potential issues before they occurred.

This approach helped reduce construction time by around 30% and cut work hours by 20%, according to the shipyard.

Unlike the first cruise ship, which required foreign supervision, Adora Flora City is being built entirely by a Chinese team.

The country is also focusing on building its own cruise ship systems. Key features like stage lifts and entertainment facilities are now being developed domestically, improving the overall localisation rate by 5%.

Future plans aim to raise this rate to 80% within ten years.

The ship will now enter the outfitting stage, where its interiors, safety systems, and entertainment zones will be completed. It is expected to undergo sea trials in 2026 and be delivered by the end of that year.

Once ready, Adora Flora City will be based in Guangzhou.

The launch has been praised by international experts, including the classification society RINA, which acknowledged the speed and quality of the build.

Meanwhile, the country’s first domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, which began service in January 2024, has already carried over 3,50,000 passengers in more than 100 voyages.

References: CGTN, globaltimes

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