The Adora Magic City, China's first domestically made large cruise ship, docks at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Saturday. TAO RAN / FOR CHINA DAILY

China's first domestically made large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, set sail on a trial voyage from the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Sunday, setting the stage for its official inaugural voyage, which is slated for the first day of January.

The ship will sail on another trial voyage with passengers on board before the Jan 1 journey.

Yang Guobing, chairman of CSSC (China State Shipbuilding Corp) Cruise Technology Development Co and its subsidiary, Adora Cruises, said the maiden voyage is an important drill that a cruise vessel undertakes before commercial operations begin. 

According to Yang, a large cruise ship was the only high-value vessel that Chinese shipbuilders had not built until now, and the operation of the vessel will make China the only country in the world to have mastered the technology for building aircraft carriers, large liquefied natural gas carriers and large cruise ships. 

"The maiden voyage of the China-built vessel represents not only a great breakthrough in China's high-end manufacturing techniques, but also the Chinese people's pursuit of and demand for a better life," said Wang Hong, president and professor of management at the China Europe International Business School.

According to Wang, by the end of 2019, China had become the world's second-largest cruise market. The Adora Magic City is the latest effort to explore the new growth point of the Chinese consumption model after COVID-19, and the services offered by some 1,300 crew members from 30 countries and regions are expected to create a unique attraction for Chinese people. 

During the maiden voyage ceremony held after the maritime convention, Gu Huiquan, general manager of Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, exchanged a plaque with the Adora Magic City's captain, Niklas Peterstam, and a flag presentation was held as Sun Wei, CSSC Group vice-president, presented the Adora flag to the ship's team headed by Peterstam.

The 135,500-gross-tonnage jumbo ship can accommodate a maximum of 5,246 passengers in its 2,125 guest rooms. With its living and entertainment area spread over a massive 40,000 square meters, the vessel is known as the modern city on the sea.

In its inaugural season, the Adora Magic City will sail from Shanghai to popular destinations in Northeast Asia, said Guo Jia, business development director of Adora Cruises and spokeswoman for the company.