(Yicai) Aug. 19 -- China's first self-developed giant cruise ship Adora Magic City will continue to operate out of Shanghai next year and will sail more than 80 cruise routes which will last between five and eight days to Japan and South Korea, the owner and operator said.

Adora Magic City is offering 86 international cruises from Shanghai this year, most of which are five or six day cruises to Japan and South Korea, the head of Adora Cruises told Yicai on Aug. 16. 

Hong Kong-based Adora Cruises also owns the Adora Mediterranea which was built in 2003 in Finland. The two cruise liners have served more than 300,000 Chinese and foreign travelers so far.

From next year, they will start operating almost 170 different international cruise routes out of multiple Chinese ports. The Adora Mediterranea will start three- to six-day cruises from a number of cities such as Tianjin, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao and Dalian to over 10 popular overseas destinations including Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

There is also a second home-made large cruise ship that is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2026 and will operate out of Guangzhou. The name of the ship is expected to be announced soon.

This year is the first year since the Covid-19 pandemic that China’s cruise economy has started to get back on track. The Shanghai International Cruise Port is the leading home port for international cruises in Asia and the fourth busiest in the world.

Adora Magic City has sailed more than 50 voyages since its maiden voyage on Jan. 1, serving over 200,000 Chinese and foreign guests, the person in charge said. It is the only cruise ship in China with Shanghai as its home port, and has directly boosted the consumer economy in Shanghai and the surrounding areas.

Editor: Kim Taylor