The Chinese cruise line Adora Cruises has taken delivery of its second ship, the ‘Adora Flora City’. The Shanghai Waigaoqiao shipyard is planning to set up an assembly base for further cruise ships.
On 6 November, Adora Cruises took delivery of its latest vessel, the “Adora Flora City”, from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS). The shipyard is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). The cruise ship was subsequently transferred to the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal.
This handover marks the completion of China’s programme to build its first two large cruise ships. The programme began with the contract signed in November 2018 by CSSC, Carnival Corporation and Fincantieri, and involved 13 years of research as well as five years of design and construction.
The “Adora Flora City” is a sister ship to the “Adora Magic City”, which was delivered in November 2023 but is slightly larger. Measuring 341 m in length and with a gross tonnage of 141,900 GT, she is 17.4 m longer and 6,400 GT larger than her predecessor. She has a beam of 37.2 m, a design draught of 8.17 m and reaches a maximum speed of 22.7 kn. There are 2,130 different cabins and suites available to accommodate a maximum of 5,232 passengers. Two exhaust gas cleaning systems and five SCR systems have been installed, and the proportion of Chinese suppliers for this vessel has risen by around five percentage points to approximately 35 per cent, compared with the previous vessel.
“With the delivery and imminent entry into service of the ‘Adora Flora City’, Adora Cruises will further expand its fleet, optimise capacity utilisation and enhance the guest experience in order to better meet the growing demand from Chinese consumers for high-quality travel,” the company stated.
“Building on our many years of operational experience, we will press ahead with the remaining preparations to ensure that the ‘Adora Flora City’ enters service in optimal condition.”
Hong Kong is the first stop for “Adora Flora City”
The plan is for the “Adora Flora City” to be christened on 22 November at the Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Terminal by Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing, before setting sail on a five-day maiden voyage. The itinerary will include stops in Hong Kong and Chan May in Vietnam. The first season will feature four- and five-day cruises to Hong Kong and Vietnam, an overnight cruise to Hong Kong, and an eight-day voyage with stops in Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
The company also highlighted a 16-day voyage that will take guests on their first-ever journey through six South-East Asian countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. The ship will also offer itineraries departing from Hong Kong, including nearly 20 cruises from late March to early May, from late June to late July, and from late October to early November.
The delivery of the “Adora Flora City” marks the transition from an initial technological breakthrough to the potential for mass production of large cruise ships in China. Whether the country succeeds in attracting international cruise lines as clients in future – companies which in recent years have primarily placed orders with the three major European shipyards, Fincantieri, Meyer Werft and Chantiers de l’Atlantique – will be one of the most exciting developments in the coming years.
Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding plans to establish a specialised assembly facility for cruise ships with an annual capacity of 500,000 GT. Based on the size of the ‘Adora Flora City’, such a facility could, in the long term, enable the delivery of three to four comparable cruise ships per year. According to Chinese media reports, the shipyard is already in talks with both Chinese and international cruise lines regarding potential new-build projects. Further concrete developments regarding new orders are expected in 2027.
In addition to the main shipyard, around 100 major contractors and some 1,500 suppliers were involved in the development of the two large Chinese cruise ships for Adora Cruises. This industrial network is an essential prerequisite for China to further expand its position in international cruise shipbuilding.
