The beginning of 2024 marks an important moment for both China's emerging cruising industry and global cruising. As Adora Magic City departed on its maiden voyage, it paves the way for luxury cruising based in China and potentially for a new cruise shipbuilding market.  It's the first-ever luxury cruise ship built entirely in China at international standards. Over the past few days, the Chinese vessel has kicked off its final trials before it sets off on its maiden voyage starting on January 1, 2024. The inaugural voyage welcomed over 3,000 passengers, both from China and international destinations. The maiden route covers Shanghai-Jeju-Nagasaki-Fukuoka-Shanghai, spanning six nights and seven days. The voyage quickly gained popularity among travelers. Ticket prices range from approximately 2,000-3,000 yuan per person to over 10,000 yuan, with substantial bookings reported. According to Trip.com, tickets were sold out on the platform since mid-November. The full-year schedule for the large cruise ship has already been released. On platforms like Trip.com, related products for the remaining months are still available. Fueled by the commercial launch of the Adora Magic City, interest in international cruise travel has surged on multiple Chinese online travel platforms. On Trip.com, bookings for cruise trips increased by 230 percent month-on-month during the three-day New Year holidays, which concluded on Monday. In the future, the Adora Magic City will embark on cruise routes from China to Southeast Asian countries, offering a diverse range of travel and vacation options that include long, medium, and short-haul journeys. A maritime Silk Road cruise route is also expected to be introduced at an opportune time. China’s “floating name card at sea” When it comes to numbers, China’s first homegrown cruise ship was delivered in Shanghai on November 4 after five years of construction. With a gross tonnage of 135,500 and a length of 323.6 meters, the ship can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers in 2,125 guest rooms.  The cruise ship features 26 restaurants and bars, offering over 400 dishes that blend Eastern and Western cuisines, and a theater that can accommodate a thousand people. The launch of the Adora Magic City has positioned China as the fifth country globally capable of building large cruise ships. The interior décor and rigorous testing of the ship, with the largest shopping center at sea thanks to a strategic alliance with duty-free behemoth China Duty Free Group, and it will be the first cruise ship to be covered by a 5G network thanks to its collaboration with Shanghai Telecom. In addition, the ship will have the first live comedy theater at sea in conjunction with Mahua FunAge, a prominent Chinese comedy film and stage play production firm. A brand-new song and dance spectacle offered by Selection International Entertainment, "Marco Polo: An Enchanted Love Tale," is expected to enrich the experience of guests. Meanwhile, on the cruise liner, a new production show called "Magic City," which shares the same name as the ship, will debut, presenting the city's varied "kaleidoscope" culture on stage. The ship's name is also an interesting choice, as it corresponds to Shanghai's nickname "modu", or the "magic city.” "Modu" is commonly used by Shanghai's youngsters. In Chinese, "mo" denotes magic and can also mean fascinating, whereas "du" means city or capital. It recreates the charm of the city Shanghai at sea by rebuilding a "maritime city" with an East-meets-West style. According to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism, the name reflects the ship's "Shanghai design" and "Shanghai manufacturing" identities, as well as an ambition to promote “haipai” (Shanghai-style) culture and the inheritance of the city's cultural essence. Shanghai is also Asia's largest cruise home port and the world's fourth-largest. Between 2008 and 2020, Shanghai received around 3,000 cruise liners, resulting in 15 mi