Adora Cruises has recorded the embarkation of the one-millionth passenger aboard Adora Magic City, the first large cruise vessel constructed in the People’s Republic of China, an event that corresponds with notable expansion in Shanghai’s cruise industry.
Representatives of the Shanghai-based operator indicated that reaching the one-million passenger mark reflects ongoing demand within the market and the level of confidence placed in the line’s services. They also stated that the company is evaluating plans to deploy additional tonnage to both domestic and international ports, with a view to aligning the cruise sector’s growth with broader objectives associated with the Belt and Road Initiative, a national strategy launched in late 2013 to improve trade and connectivity through a network of infrastructure projects spanning Asia, Africa, Europe and other regions.
In the current season, Adora Magic City is scheduled to complete in excess of eighty voyages, principally operating from its homeport in Shanghai. The vessel is also slated for deployment to Shenzhen for the first time in August to conduct a voyage into Southeast Asian waters. In addition to Adora Magic City, the company’s fleet comprises two other large cruise vessels: Adora Mediterranean, designated in commercial materials as an “art ship,” and Piano Land, which operates under the Astro Ocean Cruise brand.
Plans for Adora Mediterranean foresee utilisation of multiple homeports, including Tianjin, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Dalian and Shenzhen, among others, to support flexible routing. For example, schedules indicate that on April 10th the vessel will depart from Xiamen International Cruise Home Port on a cruise calling in the Philippines and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, construction of China’s second domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, has passed the 90% completion mark. Delivery of this newbuild is anticipated by year-end, after which the vessel will be based at Guangzhou Nansha, with operations focused on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to information from the same source.