Adora Cruises floated out its second large domestically built cruise ship, Adora Flower City, and at the same time moved to expand its newbuilding pipeline with plans for two more ships and an option for a third.
The company signed a memorandum of understanding with China State Shipbuilding Corporation for the design and construction of the additional ships. It said the next generation will be based on a Chinese design, with the first vessel in that series targeted for delivery by 2030. Adora Cruises also said the added capacity will support its overseas homeport plans and accelerate its push into international cruise markets.
The new ship is scheduled to begin sea trials in May and is due for delivery in late 2026. It will be homeported at Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Home Port in southern China near Hong Kong. Adora Magic City is homeported in Shanghai, while Adora Mediterranea, the former Costa cruise ship in the fleet, mainly sails from Xiamen.
Built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, Adora Flower City is reported to be 95 percent complete. It was floated on 14 March 2026, followed by incline testing and the loading test and release of 18 lifeboats before moving to the outfitting berth.
Construction of the ship began in August 2022. According to China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the build schedule was shortened by eight months compared with Adora Magic City, while construction efficiency improved by more than 20 percent.
When completed, Adora Flower City will measure 141,900 gross tons and 341 m in length. It is an enlarged version of Adora Magic City, which measures 136,200 gross tons and 324 m. The added 17 m was used to increase capacity and reshape parts of the ship’s layout.
Passenger cabins rise to 2,130, with maximum capacity set at 5,232 guests. The first ship has 2,125 cabins and a maximum passenger capacity of 5,246. The larger platform also allowed the company to redesign the cabins, double the size of the central atrium and rework public spaces.
On board, the vessel will have 26 restaurants and bars, a theatre, a gym and spa, an enlarged shopping mall and children’s areas. Adora Cruises said the ship represents an upgrade in both space and technology, including interactive systems in the cabins.
The interior concept follows a flower theme tied to Guangzhou, widely known as the Flower City. The company said it also strengthened Chinese cultural elements and the Chinese cruise experience throughout the ship.
China State Shipbuilding Corporation said the vessel includes more than 4,700 km of cabling, nearly 40,000 square metres of public space, thousands of systems, more than 20,000 pieces of equipment and over 25 million components, underlining the scale and complexity of the project.
