29-12-2023 (SHANGHAI) China is set to launch its first domestically built cruise ship on January 1st, offering Chinese travelers a way to dip their toes in international waters while still enjoying familiar comforts of home.
The new liner Adora Magic City will embark on its maiden voyage from Shanghai to South Korea and Japan for a six-day Lunar New Year cruise. The 16-deck ship can accommodate over 5,000 passengers across 2,125 staterooms.
With 22 dining options including hotpot restaurants, mahjong rooms, and Chinese-style musical theaters, the ship provides a thoroughly domestic experience. That’s precisely the point – easing Chinese tourists back abroad after years of Covid restrictions, but with surroundings that remain intimate and recognizable.
Built by state-owned CSSC Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, the 323-meter Adora is being hailed by Chinese state media as a major technological achievement. But its main purpose is bridging the gap between China’s recovered domestic tourism and still-lagging international travel.
While demand for overseas flights remains muted, tickets for Adora’s first sailings sold out rapidly after September bookings opened. Lunar New Year cruises in February were particularly popular. The ship plans future Southeast Asia itineraries to gently introduce more Chinese to traveling abroad once again.
For now, short regional cruises allow Chinese families, many with elderly members or children, to enjoy overseas destinations worry-free. Cruise travel means avoiding unpredictable lodging and transport abroad.
The thoroughly Chinese-style Adora provides the familiarity of home, even while venturing overseas – down to the mahjong parlors and hotpot eateries. This hybrid model aims to rebuild Chinese confidence in international leisure travel after years of pandemic isolation.
