Second China-built large cruise liner enters final assembly phase at dock

The final assembly of China's second domestically-built large cruise ship has started as the ship enters a dock in east China's Shanghai Municipality, which is expected to significantly accelerate its construction, China Media Group (CMG) reported.

A keel laying ceremony was held on Saturday at the No. 2 dock of the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS), after which the hull sections will be quickly assembled just like ''building blocks," the CMG reported.

Keel laying is a symbolic node in the process of ship construction, which means the ship will be continuously outfitted in a fast speed, said Chen Jianwei, assistant general manager at the SWS and construction director of the large cruise ship project.

This means that China has basically established the mass design and construction capabilities in the cruise ship industry, said Chen.

The second domestically-built cruise ship features a larger size with more advanced equipment.

It has a gross tonnage of 141,900 tonnes - 6,400 tonnes more than its predecessor, and a total length of 341 meters, increasing by 17.4 meters. The number of cabins has also increased by 19, reaching 2,144.

To make the ship more environmentally friendly, two sets of desulfurization systems and five sets of advanced environmental protection systems have been added.

The cruise liner is equipped with living and entertainment areas spanning up to 16 decks, featuring diverse leisure and recreational facilities, including a large-scale performance center, large restaurants, specialty eateries and art galleries. 

Furthermore, through optimized design, the onboard public areas and outdoor recreational areas have also increased to 25,599 square meters and 14,272 square meters, respectively.

Currently, 124 of the ship's 699 structural segments have been completed, and the outfitting work has fully started.

According to the plan, the ship will be floated out in early May 2025, undocked in March 2026, and start sea trials in June of that year. It is scheduled to be named and delivered by the end of 2026.

The construction of the second ship has utilized a series of scientific research results of the first one, such as the management experience, tools and methods, said Chen.

"We have also developed digital control means of giant system engineering, concerning eight aspects including design, procurement and logistics, which greatly improves the construction efficiency," said Chen.