China's second domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, will officially leave dry dock in Shanghai on Friday, marking a key milestone in the country's cruise industry..
The Adora Flora City, with a gross tonnage of over 140,000, measures 341 meters in length and 37.2 meters in width. The vessel has 2,130 rooms and can accommodate more than 5,200 passengers.
After completing the flooding of the dry dock and successfully floating on Saturday, the ship entered a seven-day process of preparations for leaving the dock, during which it has undergone and successfully completed a series of tests and verifications, including tilt tests, lifeboat release tests, and cruise trials.
The ship is scheduled to leave the dock on Friday afternoon as all tests went smoothly.
"The timing for leaving dry dock mainly depends on the tides. We choose the highest and most stable tide level, when the water flow is calmest, to ensure the safety of the entire ship," said Zhang Qiang, deputy director of Cruise Project Department, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, or CSSC.
According to the plan, after leaving the dry dock, the Adora Flora City will enter its final phase of construction and testing at the pier, preparing for sea trials scheduled for the end of May. Exiting the dry dock is a critical step in shipbuilding, marking the start of the final construction phase. Staff explained that moving a 341-meter-long cruise ship from the dock to the pier is a complex operation that requires close coordination.
To safely maneuver the massive vessel out of the dock and turn it around at sea for berthing, the team will have to coordinate tugboats, set up temporary traffic control zones, deploy more patrol boats for guidance, and use drones for aerial monitoring to prevent collisions with other ships.
"With the help of nine tugboats, the Adora Flora City will be moved from Dock No. 2 to Berth No. 4 at the shipyard. Once at the pier, we will use our 'Smart Maritime' system to define a safe working area and continuously track the ship's movements," said Guo Zhonghua, deputy director of the Command Center at Pudong Maritime Safety Administration.
Given the busy maritime traffic in the waters near the pier and the ship's massive size, local maritime authorities will carry out an around-the-clock monitor in the area.
"We have set up an electronic alert zone for the cruise ship, using intelligent analysis to monitor passing vessels and provide real-time warnings. We are also increasing patrols to ensure order and safety in the waters nearby," said Lou Yuejiang, officer at Baoshan Police Station, Shanghai Branch, Yangtze River Shipping Public Security Bureau.
China’s second homegrown cruise ship to leave dry dock
