Construction of China's 2nd homegrown large cruise ship at full steam

China's shipbuilders are working at full steam to construct the country's second homegrown large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, to ensure its on-time delivery and entry into operation by the end of 2026.

Compared with its predecessor, Adora Magic City, the gross tonnage of the new cruise ship will increase by 6,400 tons, reaching 141,900 tons in total, while its length will increase by 17.4 meters, measuring 341 meters.

The cruise ship will boast 2,144 guest rooms, 19 more than that on Adora Magic City, and be able to accommodate 5,232 guests.

It will also feature a 16-story living and entertainment facility, including performing, dining, drinking, shopping and recreation areas.

Although it represents a significant upscaling over its predecessor, the construction period for Adora Flora City is planned to be reduced by eight months compared to Adora Magic City.

The builders leveraged extensive data gathered during the building of the first cruise ship to create a 3D model, which has significantly improved their work efficiency throughout the project.

"Our construction team has withstood the pressure and addressed challenging technical issues one by one. More than 4,000 people are working on the ship simultaneously, dedicating day and night to turning the impossible into possible," said Wei Shengsheng, deputy director of the Cruise Ship Project Department of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

The supply chain also poses a challenge for the ship's construction. Building a large cruise ship requires a general assembly plant, about 100 subcontractors and about 1,500 supporting companies providing various raw materials, equipment and technical support.

"In the past, only a few shipyards in Europe can build an entire cruise ship, which means the supply chain was basically based in Europe. If all components were imported, the production cycle and cost would be uncontrollable. Therefore, we must establish our own independent and controllable supply chain," said Wang Zhangjian, president of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Marine Design and Research Institute.

As of January 1, 2025, Adora Magic City has been in commercial operation for a full year, carrying over 600,000 domestic and international guests, and completing 84 round-trip voyages from Shanghai to Japan and South Korea.

Adora Flora City is expected to set sail at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou City of south China’s Guangdong Province by the end of 2026. 

Construction of China's 2nd homegrown large cruise ship at full steam

China's sharp countermeasures against U.S. "reciprocal tariffs" demonstrate the country's zero tolerance towards actions that undermine the global multilateral trading system, according to an expert.

Amid widespread opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs", imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" on all imported goods and higher rates on certain trading partners. The order took effect from Saturday.

For China, it faces a 34-percent tariff from the United States. That was on top of the existing tariff of 20 percent.

Following the U.S. decision to impose "reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese exports to the United States, China's Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said Friday that the move taken by the U.S. does not conform to international trade rules, seriously undermines China's legitimate rights and interests, and represents a typical act of unilateral bullying.

It also announced that China will impose additional 34-percent tariffs on all products imported from the United States starting from April 10.

Wang Yaojing, assistant professor of economics with Peking University, pointed out that China's countermeasures shows its clear stance in opposing unilateralism and protectionism.

"China's countermeasures clearly demonstrate zero tolerance against actions that seek to undermine the global multilateral trading ecosystem. These harmful moves have far-reaching consequences for the global economy. And China's countermeasures are both well-prepared and timely," Wang emphasized.

China’s countermeasures show zero tolerance towards US unilateralism, protectionism: expert