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China’s first domestically developed large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, with Shanghai as its home port, recently welcomed its one millionth passenger, underscoring the city’s growing cruise industry.
The milestone highlights the vibrant cruise market and the confidence tourists place in the cruise line, according to Jia Ying, Associate Vice President of Marketing and E-Commerce. The company is also exploring plans to expand its fleet to other domestic and international ports, aiming to position cruise tourism as a key project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Based in Shanghai, the cruise operator manages three large vessels: the Adora Magic City, the Adora Mediterranean—also known as the “Art Ship”—and the Piano Land under Astro Ocean Cruise.
This year, the Adora Magic City is scheduled to complete over 80 voyages primarily departing from Shanghai, with a new route to Shenzhen for Southeast Asia planned in August. Meanwhile, the Adora Mediterranea benefits from multiple homeports, including Tianjin, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Dalian, and Shenzhen, allowing flexible scheduling. It will depart from Xiamen International Cruise Home Port on April 10, heading to the Philippines and Vietnam.
Additionally, the second Chinese-made large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, has achieved full ship connectivity, with construction progress surpassing 91 percent. It is expected to be delivered by the end of the year, with Guangzhou Nansha designated as its home port, focusing on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, sources said.
The cruise line has planned various itineraries in collaboration with Royal Caribbean International and MSC Cruises, with Shanghai and other Chinese cities serving as homeports. Royal Caribbean, responding to evolving travel preferences in China, is introducing new destinations. Benjamin Bouldin, the company’s local President, announced that during the 2026-27 cruise season, the Spectrum of the Seas will operate year-round in China, mainly from Shanghai and Hong Kong, further strengthening its presence.
MSC Cruises is also boosting its commitments to China, with its global itinerary scheduled to arrive for the first time in March, when the MSC Magnifica will dock in Shanghai. The MSC Bellissima will also return as a homeport ship, offering routes between Shanghai and Busan.
Since 2006, Shanghai has hosted over 3,500 cruise ships and welcomed more than 18 million visitors, capturing over 60 percent of China’s cruise market. It stands as Asia’s largest cruise port and the fourth-largest worldwide but still has room for growth compared to top-tier cruise hubs like Singapore and Miami.
The city’s government work report for the year has emphasized efforts to boost consumption, including enriching cruise-related offerings, promoting inbound tourism, providing tax refunds for outbound travelers, and facilitating cross-border payments to unlock more inbound spending potential.
Effective March 1, new regulations on the development of Shanghai’s cruise economy will come into force. These regulations aim to transition the industry from policy-driven growth to a more legally protected environment, according to Wang Hong, deputy to the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress and dean of the China Europe International Business School. This shift will support the city’s innovative “hub port, headquarters port, and manufacturing port” model.
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