Photo: People's Daily

China’s second large domestically-built cruise ship, Adora Flora City set sail from the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding quay for sea trials Saturday morning. This marks a critical leap in China's large cruise ship industry from "1" to "N" batch production, laying a solid foundation for its delivery by the end of the year, People’s Daily reported.

This sea trial is another milestone following the ship's successful undocking on March 20, and represents the final key stage before delivery. Innovatively, the trial combines the two separate sea trials used for the first ship into a single one, with the schedule compressed to 12 days and 11 nights. The 937-member sea trial team includes 54 foreign engineers from 12 countries. They will complete 149 test items, including propulsion, power station, and automation systems, comprehensively verifying the ship's safety, comfort, and reliability, per the People’s Daily report.

As a sister ship to Adora Magic City, Adora Flora City measures 341 meters in length, has a gross tonnage of 141,900, and features 2,130 guest cabins, accommodating 5,232 passengers at full capacity. The ship boasts abundant facilities, with comprehensive upgrades in spatial design, smart technology, and cruise experience; its commissioning progress has reached 86.22 percent.

The ship is scheduled for delivery on November 6, 2026, and will then set sail from Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Homeport, offering a sea cultural exploration journey that is "more beautiful, more technological, and more Chinese,” helping China transition from a major shipbuilding country to a leading maritime power, the report said.