Domestic cruise milestone! "Aida Huacheng" has been launched, and the third and fourth ships have also been scheduled.

On the afternoon of March 20, at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the second domestically produced large cruise ship, the “Ida Huacheng,” was successfully floated out of the dry dock, marking its full transition into the commissioning phase at the dock.

The ship is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026 and will commence international routes from the Nansha International Cruise Home Port in Guangzhou.

Simultaneously with the float-out, China Tourism Group Co., Ltd. (“CTG”) and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (“CSSC”) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for the new large cruise ship construction project in Shanghai.

In this collaboration, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Huaxia International Cruise Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CTG, will serve as the core entities for construction and operation, establishing a framework of “2 ships under construction + 1 optional ship.”

Next, the two central state-owned enterprises will establish dedicated working teams to initiate technical verification and contract design work, aiming to deliver the first domestically designed and built cruise ship by the end of 2030.

On the afternoon of March 20, the second domestically produced large cruise ship, “Ida Huacheng,” was smoothly floated out with support from maritime authorities.

Enhancing Construction Efficiency and Quality

“Ida Huacheng” has a gross tonnage of 141,900 tons, a length of 341 meters, and a beam of 37.2 meters. It features 2,130 cabins and suites, with a maximum capacity of 5,232 passengers.

It comprises thousands of systems, over 20,000 key pieces of equipment, and more than 25 million components—equivalent to five times the number on China’s C919 large aircraft and 13 times the high-speed train “Fuxing.” The total length of cables exceeds 4,700 kilometers, longer than the distance from Shanghai to Lhasa.

A relevant leader from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding explained that starting from early morning on March 14, “Ida Huacheng” began a seven-day process of water intake, float-out, and dockside transfer operations. During this period, the ship underwent a tilt test to measure its weight and center of gravity, with results meeting expectations, confirming that weight and center of gravity data are controllable.

“Ida Huacheng” is equipped with 18 lifeboats and 2 rescue boats, ensuring safety for all onboard. Through individual decoupling tests and dockside navigation tests of all lifeboats on both sides of the ship, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding verified the full operational functionality of all lifeboats and rescue boats, providing safety assurance for subsequent operations.

After passing a series of tests, “Ida Huacheng” officially left the dry dock and entered a new phase of mooring trials at the port.

As of now, the overall progress of the “Ida Huacheng” project exceeds 94%, interior decoration is 81.9% complete, commissioning is 68.3% complete, and the pre-inspection of public areas, cabins, and key systems has exceeded planned targets ahead of schedule. Compared to the first ship, “Ida Huacheng” has improved overall construction efficiency by 20%, significantly shortening the construction cycle.

Chen Jianwei, Deputy General Manager of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, stated that after delivering the first ship, “Ida Modu,” the company conducted a comprehensive review, optimized the design and construction process of the second ship, and performed simulations to clarify the tasks for each department at each stage, as well as the materials needed in advance.

“During the construction of the first large cruise ship, there was a pipeline that looked incomplete, but we followed the imported foreign drawings step by step. When we found discrepancies, we reworked and corrected them, which wasted a lot of time,” said a relevant person from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. “Now, we understand the reasons behind everything, do many tasks in advance, and have innovated in processes and methods, which has greatly improved both efficiency and quality.”

Digital and intelligent technologies have further propelled the upgrade of domestically built cruise ships. To build large cruise ships, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding launched the new-generation intelligent shipbuilding cloud platform SWS TIME, which is continuously being upgraded.

This platform integrates the entire production management process, including design, procurement, logistics, planning, and completion management, and provides personalized terminal displays. When personnel log into the system via mobile devices, they can see their tasks for the day, week, and month, as well as progress updates.

Although building large cruise ships is extremely complex, involving thousands of workers across multiple trades, this breakdown makes the process clear and quantifiable.

During construction, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding introduced augmented reality (AR) technology, overlaying high-precision 3D design models onto the construction site. Workers can directly compare virtual and real components via mobile terminals, greatly improving assembly accuracy and efficiency.

In storage, the company has implemented intelligent warehousing systems, where all goods are scanned into inventory, and the system automatically matches the category of materials and recommends optimal storage locations based on weight and volume. The system also automatically detects storage status, issuing replenishment, transfer, and other operational alerts in real time.

Enhancing localization is also crucial. Chen Jianwei explained that domestically produced cruise ships are steadily increasing the localization rate of core components through independent R&D and international cooperation. “The second domestically built large cruise ship has a localization rate of about 35%, up 5% from the first ship. As more orders are secured, more local suppliers will participate in the cruise industry,” he said.

Notably, the SWS TIME system is open to suppliers, shipowners, and classification societies. The entire industry chain is more tightly connected via the digital platform. When materials are about to run short, the system provides early warnings, enabling local suppliers to deliver promptly and ensuring production is not affected.

Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding employees can view their daily tasks on mobile devices.

Thoughtful Interior Design

Compared to the first domestically built large cruise ship, “Ida Modu,” “Ida Huacheng” is slightly larger—adding 6,400 tons in weight, extending 17.4 meters in length, and increasing the number of cabins by five—yet the maximum passenger capacity has decreased by 14.

These adjustments indicate that “Ida Huacheng” is not only bigger and longer but also offers more comfortable space for passengers.

This optimization is reflected in many aspects: the atrium area has doubled, retail space increased to 1,524 square meters to better meet one-stop shopping needs; the Bavarian suite area increased by 47%, with the largest suite doubling in size compared to the first ship, providing a more spacious feel; the water park area expanded by nearly 50%, with a new small sightseeing circular slide for photo opportunities; the dining area added a new beer restaurant, offering passengers a “craft beer” experience at sea…

As the operator and builder, Huaxia Cruises maintains a positive interaction. “The ‘Ida Modu’ serves as a benchmark for domestically produced cruise ships, and its operational experience is effectively feeding back into product development. We incorporate Chinese consumer preferences collected during operations directly into the design and construction of the second domestically built cruise ship,” said Hou Dawei, Deputy Leader of the Huaxia Cruises Preparatory Group.

In terms of accommodation, “Ida Huacheng” has optimized cabin design and layout based on Chinese family travel habits, adding various suite types, increasing the proportion of balcony rooms, and specifically expanding the number of connecting rooms.

Additionally, “Ida Huacheng” has enlarged public areas to meet Chinese guests’ social and leisure needs, creating open social spaces like “seaside street gardens,” offering coffee tastings, folk performances, and wellness activities.

In dining, “Ida Huacheng” features 26 themed restaurants and bars, with a high proportion of Chinese cuisine, covering eight major culinary styles. The main restaurant has added Cantonese and other Chinese specialties.

Service-wise, the ship has increased the ratio of Chinese-speaking staff, upgraded Chinese language training for foreign crew, and added features such as Chinese etiquette guidance and convenient payment options. It also fully upgrades passenger service automation, introducing smart customer service, facial recognition, and AI robots to improve boarding and disembarking efficiency and enhance interactive experiences.

“On ‘Ida Modu,’ you can see elements of Chinese culture like Dunhuang murals; on ‘Ida Huacheng,’ we have more time to refine, and passengers will notice that ‘flowers’ are not just decorations but a main design theme throughout the ship, with many clever details,” Hou Dawei said.

The overall spatial layout of “Ida Huacheng” reflects natural beauty, incorporating many floral elements and creating an immersive “Lingnan style” seaside community. The dining concept of “flower-based cuisine” offers healthy light meals and beer gardens; performances are produced in collaboration with Chinese cultural groups, including traditional shows like “Lion Boy.”

“Ida Huacheng” aims to be a new domestically produced large cruise ship, dedicated to providing both domestic and international guests with a journey of “more beautiful, more technological, and more Chinese” maritime cultural exploration.

The Chinese cuisine proportion on “Ida Huacheng” will remain high, covering eight major styles, with new Cantonese and other Chinese specialties in the main restaurant. (Restaurant concept illustration)

Third Domestic Large Cruise Ship to Innovate Independently

While the second domestically built large cruise ship was slowly transferred from the dry dock to the port with tug assistance,现场嘉宾们移步至外高桥造船科技楼的报告厅内，在那里，国产大型邮轮迎来又一个重要里程碑——新订单来了。

According to the cooperation framework, Huaxia Cruises will order two new cruise ships from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, with the possibility of a third, indicating that the third and fourth domestically produced large cruise ships are essentially confirmed.

Cruise ship manufacturing has a strong driving effect on the industrial chain, promoting the development of ship repair, cruise ports, commerce, retail, and financial services, and even facilitating upgrades in hotels, cultural tourism, and entertainment sectors.

However, economic benefits depend on scale—building one large cruise ship usually incurs losses, and building two may not be profitable. Only continuous construction can truly drive industry growth and generate greater economic returns.

Cruise operation also requires scale effects. In the past, Chinese cruise companies mostly operated single ships, with high operating costs. The emergence of Huaxia Cruises aims to change this, establishing a national team for Chinese cruise operations.

Huaxia Cruises was established at the end of 2023 in Shanghai, jointly by China Tourism Group, COSCO Shipping Group, China Merchants Group, Jinjiang International Group, Shanghai Jiushi Group, and Shanghai Wusongkou Cultural Tourism Group.

Since its founding, Huaxia International Cruises has been steadily integrating existing cruise resources following the principles of “professionalization, marketization, and internationalization.” By 2025, it will have completed the integration of the “Ida” and “Nanhai” cruise ships and signed an equity acquisition agreement for Xinglv Cruises.

Currently, Huaxia Cruises manages four operational ships: “Ida Modu,” “Ida Mediterranean,” “Gulangyu,” and “South Sea Dream,” forming Asia’s largest cruise fleet and establishing a tiered, collaborative development pattern.

“We have already felt the benefits of scale effects. After the integration of several cruise companies, resources for design and sales have merged, significantly reducing operating costs. More importantly, sharing operational and safety management experience has accelerated China’s cruise operation capabilities,” Hou Dawei told reporters.

Once scaled, Huaxia Cruises is consolidating domestic supplier resources and developing talent. On March 17, the first Chinese captain took command of “Ida Modu,” marking a milestone in talent development for core cruise operation positions. China’s cruise industry is gradually building a full-chain capability from construction to operation.

Huaxia Cruises is also exploring new cruise products. For example, “Ida Modu” began testing 8-9 day long routes last year; “Gulangyu” has attempted homeport operations in Hong Kong and even ventured abroad with homeport operations in Malaysia.

“Now we have a deeper understanding of cruise operations and a clearer idea of what kind of ships Chinese cruise companies need, so we are in the stage of negotiating new orders,” Hou Dawei said.

Cruise ships are demand-driven products; shipping companies will propose design requirements based on their needs. A relevant person from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding explained that the cooperation memorandum signed between China Tourism Group and China State Shipbuilding marks China’s cruise industry moving beyond the “import and learn” and “absorb and digest” phases into a new stage of “independent innovation.”

“Previously, we built ships based on foreign imported drawings, which often suited foreign tourists’ preferences. Now, we are customizing domestically built cruise ships for Chinese tourists,” the person said.

Hou Dawei expressed that Huaxia Cruises aims to create a “transparent, relaxed, healing, and modern” maritime vacation space with the new ships.

For example, in space design, the focus is not on maximum passenger capacity but on returning to a leisurely journey—higher balcony room ratios, more spacious public areas, ensuring every inch of space is dedicated to comfort.

In cultural experience, traditional Chinese cultural elements are systematically integrated into space design, dining, performances, and interactive activities, transforming culture from static decoration into participatory, perceptible journey memories.

In smart services, the goal is “seamless” experience through digital means such as intelligent terminals, AI voice assistants, and facial recognition, making service processes smoother and more convenient. These smart capabilities are deeply integrated with aging-friendly designs to truly serve people through technology.