China’s growing domestic cruise ship manufacturing sector has hit a new milestone, with the country’s second entirely homebuilt large cruise liner, Adora Flora City, scheduled for handover on November 6 — two months ahead of its originally projected delivery timeline. The builder and future operator of the vessel made the official announcement on April 16.
This achievement comes on the heels of the 2023 launch of Adora Magic City, China’s first domestically constructed large cruise ship, and marks a clear leap forward in the country’s shipbuilding expertise. Compared to its predecessor, the Adora Flora City project has recorded a 20 percent improvement in overall construction efficiency, putting the vessel solidly on track to begin its scheduled sea trials in mid-May.
The cruise ship successfully completed its undocking process on March 20, and as of the mid-April announcement, 96 percent of total construction and outfitting work has been finalized. The vessel is currently undergoing dock mooring debugging at the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd facility, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), the lead enterprise behind the project.
Measuring 341 meters in total length and boasting a gross tonnage of 141,900, the Adora Flora City is larger than China’s first homegrown cruise ship, stretching 17.4 meters longer than Adora Magic City. In terms of passenger capacity, the new liner will feature 2,130 individual cabins, with space to accommodate up to 5,232 guests on board when it enters commercial operation.
The accelerated delivery timeline for the second domestic cruise ship underscores China’s rapid mastery of the complex, high-value large cruise ship manufacturing sector, an industry long dominated by European shipbuilders. This progress signals the emergence of China as a competitive new player in the global cruise ship construction market, while also supporting the growth of China’s domestic cruise tourism industry.