China's second domestically built large cruise ship Adora Flora City is undocked in Shanghai, east China, March 20, 2026. China's second domestically built large cruise ship was undocked in Shanghai on Friday, moving a step closer to trial voyages and final delivery as the country expands its push into the cruise tourism market. The vessel, Adora Flora City, was slowly pulled and guided out of the construction dock by powerful tugboats at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). It will fully enter the wharf commissioning stage, said the shipbuilder. Photo: Xinhua

Adora Cruises, a Chinese cruise brand, officially on Monday unveiled the product details and inaugural season routes for its second domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, the company told the Global Times in a statement. Tickets are set to go on sale on May 20.

Scheduled for delivery in November this year, Adora Flora City will begin its inaugural season from the Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Home Port. The maiden voyage will be a six-day, five-nightitinerary from Guangzhou to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Hue in Vietnam.

The upcoming commercial operation of the Adora Flora City will give a boost to the cruise industry as a whole in the Greater Bay Area, with Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong at its core. From technology research and development, service support, to cruise home port construction, the entire industrial chain has formed an important demonstration effect and operational capability, Song Ding, a research fellow at the China Development Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

According to Adora Cruises, the inaugural season of Adora Flora City will feature a mix of short, medium, and long itineraries, catering to both quick getaways and in-depth explorations. These include five-day, four-night and six-day, five-night trips to HKSAR and Vietnam, with special overnight stays in Hong Kong tailored for travelers in the Greater Bay Area.

A nine-day, eight-night "Southeast Asian Charms" itinerary will cover popular destinations such as Nha Trang in Vietnam, Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, and Muara in Brunei. 

A 17-day, 16-night "Maritime Silk Road Discovery" itinerary will visit six Southeast Asian countries - Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam - offering an immersive cultural journey along the Maritime Silk Road.

As the sister ship of China's first large homegrown cruise liner, Adora Magic City, Adora Flora City features a sleeker hull and a central atrium twice the size of its predecessor. Measuring 341 meters in length with a gross tonnage of 141,900, the vessel boasts 2,130 luxury cabins and suites, accommodating up to 5,232 guests. The ship is 17.4 meters longer than the Adora Magic City.

As the second large Chinese-made cruise ship, Adora Flora City has been comprehensively upgraded in spatial design, smart technology, and onboard experiences, promising guests "a more elegant, technologically advanced, and distinctly Chinese" maritime cultural exploration journey, according to the cruise operator.

The current market is primarily focused on Southeast Asian routes, which is the most familiar region and the most mature segment for cruise routes in this area, Song said. Building on this foundation is conducive to long-term development and the rapid, steady advancement of the regional cruise industry.

As a cruise ship that is independently built and operated by a Chinese operator, with independent intellectual property rights, the upcoming operation of the vessel not only reflects the national industrial strategy and industrial chain layout, but also marks a substantial breakthrough in China's cruise construction and independent operation capabilities in the Greater Bay Area, Song said, predicting that the ship will play a leading role in the national cruise industry and in China's future development in global maritime cultural tourism.

The Adora Flora City left the dock in Shanghai in March, moving a step closer to trial voyages and final delivery as the country expands its push into the cruise tourism market, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The ship will accelerate interior installations and systems commissioning, according to Adora Cruises, operator of the cruise liner.

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