China’s first domestically built large cruise ship has started its commercial maiden voyage, a moment hailed by authorities keen to chip away at the dominance of European shipbuilders in the cruise sector.
The 135,500-tonne Adora Magic City, commissioned by a joint venture between the China State Shipbuilding Corp and US-based Carnival Corp, set sail on Monday from Shanghai for South Korea and Japan before returning seven days later.
With more than 20 restaurants and bars, indoor palm trees, a theatre seating nearly 1,000 and a 2,000 sq m shopping centre, the ship has 16 floors and can carry 5,246 passengers, according to its builder CSSC’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. Industry insiders have previously said that more than 80 per cent of tickets have been sold for its inaugural voyage.