On March 14, 2026, at Dock No. 2 of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the highly anticipated second domestically built large cruise ship “Adora Flora City” (H1509) officially commenced its float-out operations. Following the success of the first vessel, “Adora Magic City,” this milestone once again demonstrates China’s remarkable “China Speed” and solid strength in high-end cruise ship construction.
The float-out process is scheduled to last seven days, covering three critical stages: dock flooding and vessel floating, shifting, and undocking. According to the latest plan, “Adora Flora City” will complete all dock operations by March 20, 2026, and then transition into the pier-side outfitting and commissioning phase. Sea trials are expected to begin in May, with final delivery targeted before the end of 2026.
One of the most critical technical steps during float-out is the inclining test, which accurately determines the vessel’s weight and center of gravity. This directly impacts the ship’s stability at sea and passenger comfort.
During the construction of the first vessel, “Adora Magic City,” the Waigaoqiao team successfully mastered the key technology of weight and center-of-gravity control throughout the cruise ship lifecycle. On “Adora Flora City,” this technology has evolved into a highly mature and standardized process.
Remarkably, this inclining test achieved a “one-time approval”—meaning the team proceeded directly with the official test plan without prior internal trials and successfully submitted it for certification in one go.
This achievement signifies:
A leap in process maturity: Eliminating trial-and-error and demonstrating strong technical confidence
More precise project management: Improved schedule control and higher construction efficiency
Enhanced quality stability: A high first-pass success rate reflecting reliable build quality
As of March 14, the inclining test has been successfully completed.
While pursuing speed, safety remains the top priority in maritime engineering. After completing the inclining test, the project team conducted lifeboat release and in-dock navigation tests under floating conditions, alternating between the port and starboard sides.
“Adora Flora City” is equipped with 18 lifeboats and 2 rescue boats, ensuring 100% evacuation capacity for all onboard personnel. Each lifeboat underwent individual release, maneuvering, and recovery tests to verify performance under both normal and emergency conditions.
This comprehensive testing approach under real floating conditions establishes a solid safety foundation for future commercial operations.
Since entering commercial service on January 1, 2024, “Adora Magic City” has completed over 100 voyages and served more than 350,000 passengers, delivering an impressive performance record.
As the second vessel, “Adora Flora City” has achieved significant upgrades based on operational experience:
Shorter construction cycle with highly refined schedule management
More mature processes, including one-time approval of key tests
More stable quality, with all systems progressing steadily as planned
From float-out on March 20 to sea trials in May and delivery by year-end, the team faces a tight schedule of just around nine months—an embodiment of China’s accelerating cruise shipbuilding capability.
Large cruise ships are often referred to as the “crown jewels of the shipbuilding industry,” alongside aircraft carriers and large LNG carriers.
Extreme construction complexity: A single cruise ship involves up to 25 million components, over 1,000 global suppliers, and tens of thousands of processes
Strong industrial driving effect: The cruise economy can generate a multiplier effect of up to 1:14 for port cities, tourism, and high-end manufacturing
Strategic national importance: Successfully building large cruise ships marks China’s full coverage of all high-end ship types, filling a critical gap in its industrial chain
If “Adora Magic City” marked China’s historic breakthrough from “0 to 1,” then “Adora Flora City” is steadily driving the transition from “1 to N.”
Let’s look forward to the stunning debut of this “City of Flowers at Sea” by the end of 2026, as it sets sail into the deep blue ocean.
