Started hull erection works and the coin ceremony of the first cruiser of the Chinese shipbuilder SWS-Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd (Shanghai China, subsidiary of CSSC-China State Shipbuilding Corporation), The vessel is currently under construction for CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Ltd - a joint venture between Carnival Corporation and CSSC. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, November 10, at SWS's Shanghai Shipyard.
The joint venture will be in charge of operating the newbuild.
The official ceremony took place at the presence, among others, of Michele Cecchi, Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, and Wu Qing, Deputy Mayor of Shanghai. The event was attended by Fabrizio Ferri CEO of Fincantieri China, Lei Fanpei Chairman of CSSC, and Gao Dongsheng and Tian Yulong, respectively General Manager and Chief Engineer of MIIT (Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology).
The newbuild (scheduled for delivery in 2023) has passenger capacity ~4250 (plus 1400 staff-crew) and is the first China-made cruise liner built exclusively for the Chinese source market.
The joint venture set up by CSSC (CCTD-Cruise Technology Development Co Ltd and Fincantieri) grants a technology license of the cruise ship design (model platform) and provides technical services to SWS, such as supply chain management, project management activities, sales of fundamental systems and components. The onboard design will be tailored to the tastes of Chinese customers.