The first domestically produced large cruise ship, "Aida Magic City", was loaded out of the dock in Magic City | Cruise | Domestic
On June 6th, China's first domestically produced large cruise ship, "Aida Magic City", which attracted much attention, was successfully docked at the No. 2 shipyard of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. under China Shipbuilding Group Corporation, wearing the "Dunhuang Flying Sky Colorful Ribbon". It fully began the decisive battle cycle of dock mooring tests, sea trials, and named delivery.
This also means that China's shipbuilding industry is only one step away from the historic moment of seizing the "last jewel in the crown" of the shipbuilding industry and achieving zero breakthroughs in the field of large-scale cruise ship construction.
Prior to this undocking operation, starting from the early morning of June 1st, the "Aida Magic City" vessel began a 6-day water injection floating, displacement, and undocking operation. During this period, the weight/center of gravity and stability of the entire ship were measured through a ship tilt test. Weight/center of gravity control is one of the three core technologies that runs through the entire lifecycle of a cruise ship. For large cruise ships, a slight deviation in the weight of an empty ship may result in a significant loss of deadweight tons, while a deviation in the center of gravity position can have a significant impact on stability, safety, or tourist comfort. Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding has conquered the key technology of cruise ship weight/center of gravity control through introduction, digestion, and independent innovation. Through this tilt test, the design and development results have been validated again, and the test results are perfect with controllable weight and center of gravity data.
The construction party also conducted functional verification on the entire ship's lifeboats through decoupling and patrol tests. The Aida Modu is equipped with a total of 20 super large lifeboats, with a rated crew of 314 people per boat, and can accommodate over 90% of the maximum number of lifeboats on board. On the premise of completing the load and lifting tests of the lifeboat frame, each lifeboat will undergo decoupling, cruising, and recovery tests one by one to verify its performance under normal and emergency conditions.
Another test conducted this time was to use a high-pressure water gun to flush the gangway to check its sealing. After a large cruise ship floats in the dock, the internal stress of the hull structure is released, and the structure may undergo slight changes, which can have a certain degree of impact on the tightness of the side doors. There are a total of 42 fenders on the left and right sides of the "Aida Modu" ship, and according to the design specifications, a flushing test was conducted on 40 fenders. In order to ensure the perfect function of the side door, the sealing performance of each door is tested by simulating the sea navigation state and flushing it with a high-pressure water gun at a distance of 1.5 meters from the side door.
After scientific and rigorous testing, the cruise project team further verified a series of significant scientific research achievements made by China's first large-scale cruise ship in the design, process, production preparation, final assembly and construction, interior engineering, and system integration stages, fully demonstrating that the "Aida Magic City" fully meets the technical requirements for docking and can enter a new stage of dock mooring testing, sea trial, and named delivery.
According to the plan, the "Aida Magic City" will undergo second sea trials in July and August to fully verify various functions related to cruise ship safety, such as power and propulsion systems, fire protection, fire alarm, lifesaving, communication and navigation, vibration and noise, and safe return to port. The cabin and public area interior engineering acceptance will be completed and submitted, and will be named and delivered by the end of the year.
The Aida Modu has a total length of 323.6 meters and a total tonnage of 135500 tons, capable of carrying 5246 passengers. The word "Aida" in the ship name refers to the Chinese cruise independent brand "Aida Cruise" under China Shipbuilding Corporation.
On the day of departure from the dock, the brand operator China Shipbuilding Cruise Technology Development Co., Ltd. introduced that the "Aida Magic City" ship will start its first season with Shanghai as its home port, operating routes to neighboring countries such as Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, and timely launching medium to long haul routes such as the "Maritime Silk Road".
As an independent brand, "Aida Magic City" has launched multiple innovative cruise experience measures, including: partnering with China Duty Free Group to build the largest duty-free shop on the sea; Joining hands with Shanghai Telecom to create the world's first 5G cruise ship; Building a maritime "Silk Road" art space based on the resources and advantages of Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts; With one of the most influential comedy brands in China, Happy Fried Dough Twists launched the first Happy Fried Dough Twists Maritime Special Session; Presenting a new artistic musical called "Marco Polo Silk Road Romance" in collaboration with internationally renowned entertainment company Selection; Collaborate with the original Chinese building block brand Bruco to create the first sea exploration camp that integrates artificial intelligence and STEAM courses.
At the same time, the "Aida Magic City" will also stage a brand new art song and dance drama named after the "Magic City". This musical showcases the charm of a modern city and condenses Shanghai's inclusive "kaleidoscope" culture onto the main stage of the "Magic City" at sea, presenting a refreshing viewing experience for Chinese guests.
