The trial voyage of China's first domestically manufactured cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, began from the port of Shanghai, marking a key milestone in the country's maritime sector.

The Adora Magic City, built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, underwent rigorous tests and emergency drills following its successful undocking on June 6.

The Adora Magic City is able to carry 6,500 passengers and features a gross tonnage of 135.5K DWT, a total length of 323.6m and a maximum speed of 22.6 knots.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding highlighted how the cruise ship will determine success for China’s maritime sector: “It is only one step away from winning the ‘last crown pearls’ of the shipbuilding industry, filling the gap of domestic large cruise ships and achieving a breakthrough in the field of large cruise ship construction.

“This will have a significant and far-reaching impact on China's construction of a high-quality and high-level local cruise industry ecosystem, as well as building China into a maritime, manufacturing and technological power.”

The cruise ship is outfitted with 20 extremely large lifeboats, each having a capacity of 314 people and capable of accommodating more than 90% of the ship's full lifesaving capacity.

The China-built ship boasts a luxurious hotel with exclusive amenities, including a waterpark and cinemas, ensuring comfort and leisure during the cruise.

The launch sets the stage for continued ambition as China has already commenced the construction of its second domestically built large cruise ship in August 2022.

As reported by CTGN, China's annual cruise tourism market growth has exceeded 40% since 2006 and is expected to grow into the world's largest cruise market by 2030.