The second China-built cruise vessel’s construction began on Monday, 8 August, as China’s shipbuilding industry mastered core technologies in cruise vessel construction and design, industry experts and officials announced.
Work on the interior/outfitting of the first locally built cruise vessel is underway and on its schedule.
The official steel-cutting ceremony for the second unit was conducted at SWS/Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co (a 1999-founded shipbuilding firm). The event successfully kick-started the vessel construction.
Per Tian, the cruise industry chain was significantly long and industrial developments would raise the standards for the current service industry and boost the marine economy.
However, the second ship will not be a duplicate of the first, per Zhou Qi, vice GM of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, a CSSC-China State Shipbuilding Corporation unit, the world’s biggest shipbuilder.
Video Credits: CGTN
The 142,000-GT-ton vessel has an LOA length of about 341 m (17.4 m longer than the first version/unit), beam/width of about 37 m, and nearly 2144 passenger cabins (19 more than the first vessel).
By meeting the international standards for emissions, the second cruise ship is expected to be a greener floating city in the future. It is also likely to provide an improved experience for guests with high-level safety and comfort, Zhou revealed.
CSSC signed a contract with Carnival Corporation (the world’s greatest cruise ship owner) and the Italian shipbuilder named Fincantieri to build two liners, with a choice for additional four newbuilds. The deal was signed in 2018 during the first-ever China International Import Expo.
Last week, Carnival declared the commencement of a global fleet upgrade program to enhance its fuel efficiency and achieve sustainability targets.
Dubbed Service Power Packages, the advanced technology upgrades will be carried out across the firm’s global fleet to boost energy savings and lower fuel consumption.
References: The Economic Times, Ship Technology, Late Cruise News, Cruise Mapper