Adora Magic City, the first made-in-China cruise ship, to set sail from Shanghai
- The Adora Magic City will depart on Monday for a six-day trip that will take in South Korea’s Jeju island and the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Fukuoka
- The ship is operated by a joint venture between China’s largest shipbuilding company China State Shipbuilding Corp and Carnival from the US
China’s first domestically built cruise ship is set to begin its maiden voyage on January 1, offering travellers from the mainland a way of getting overseas while still not entirely leaving the comforts of home.
The Adora Magic City will depart from its home port of Shanghai on Monday for a six-day trip that will take in South Korea’s Jeju island and the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Fukuoka. Its operator, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping, is a joint venture between China’s largest shipbuilding company China State Shipbuilding Corp and Carnival from the US.
Built by CSSC Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, Adora Magic City is 323.6 metres long and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers in 2,125 guest rooms. The 16-deck liner boasts 22 restaurants and bars – including a mahjong lounge, beer brewery and hotpot outlet, duty-free shops and theatres showing musicals with a decidedly Chinese bent, such as Marco Polo: an Untold Love Story.
State media have touted the ship as a major milestone, evidence the country’s shipbuilders can handle the most challenging of projects, along with aircraft carriers and large liquefied natural gas carriers.
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China’s first home-grown large cruise ship set to begin sea trials
But it’s also a way to ease Chinese into venturing abroad again, while still allowing for food, experiences and surroundings that are intimate and familiar.
Despite steps by authorities to get people flying overseas, such as resuming group tours, appetite for international travel is limited. Morgan Stanley does not expect China’s international air travel to fully recover until 2025, another whole 12 months away at least.
