China’s cruise ship services 220,000, sailing full steam into uncharted market

China’s first domestically produced cruise ship celebrates first months of operations as builder predicts rapid growth in emerging sector

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The Adora Magic City, China’s first domestically produced cruise ship, has carried out seven months of voyages and serviced over 220,000 passengers. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:45pm, 23 Aug 2024

China’s first domestically produced cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, has completed 54 voyages and serviced 220,000 domestic and foreign passengers after seven months of operations – an achievement reflecting the country’s ambition to win a stake of the lucrative market.

The ship – long hailed as a source of national pride, along with the country’s home-grown C919 passenger jet – has capacity for 5,246 passengers and holds 2,125 cabins. It has been fully loaded for every trip according to data unveiled at a Wednesday event organised by China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), the parent company of the Adora’s builder.

The Adora Magic City – a product of a joint venture between CSSC and American cruise operator Carnival – is offering 86 international cruises from Shanghai this year, most of which will berth in Japan and South Korea. The shipbuilder estimated the vessel’s annual purchase volume would reach 220 million yuan (US$30.8 million).

Purchase volume is used to calculate the necessary expenditures to service and supply a ship over a given period or number of journeys, which can benefit downstream industries.

The maiden voyage in early January – longer and more opulent than most subsequent trips – carried a reported purchase volume of over 60 million yuan on its own, according to a report by state media outlet China Daily.

Beijing has made overtures towards boosting service consumption – along with plans for consumer goods trade-ins and equipment upgrades – to drive the national economy through the second half of 2024, after the 4.7 per cent gross domestic product growth recorded in the second quarter fell short of the annual benchmark of “around 5 per cent”.

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