Adora Magic City Hits 1 Million Passengers in Two Years

Adora Cruises said its flagship ship Adora Magic City has carried its one-millionth passenger about two years after the China-built vessel entered commercial service. The company framed the milestone as a sign of rising cruise demand in China as policymakers push to expand services consumption and domestic travel.

Milestone used to launch a company-wide service program

Adora announced the one-millionth passenger milestone on Sunday via its website, and tied it to the rollout of what it calls the 2026 Adora Service Year, a structured effort to raise onboard service standards and guest experience across its fleet. In its communications, Adora linked the initiative to an ambition to establish a Chinese benchmark in the global cruise sector and to its Cruise + Culture brand direction.

In a press release, the company said: “The trust and choice of a million guests are our most valuable asset.” It added that it wants to help more travelers access “high-quality cruise travel close to home” and “experience the warmth of home at sea,” while strengthening onboard cultural programming so guests can engage with “diverse cultures” during sailings.

Adora said the 2026 Adora Service Year will focus on three areas:

• Professional service empowerment: Adora said it plans to build stronger professional service capabilities among staff as part of a broader push to elevate onboard standards.
• Detail-oriented refinements: The company said it will place more emphasis on refining service processes and touchpoints, with a focus on execution and consistency.
• Personalized responses: Adora said it aims to deliver more tailored responses to individual guest needs, aligning service delivery with passenger expectations.

Adora Flora City construction passes 90%, with differing delivery references

Adora also provided updates on Adora Flora City, its second domestically built cruise ship, which is being constructed by a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Across separate company communications, Adora reported that the vessel has reached full-ship structural completion and that overall construction progress has exceeded 91% (described elsewhere as more than 90% complete).

The company, however, cited different delivery timing in different updates. In the press release accompanying the one-millionth passenger announcement, Adora set delivery for the end of 2026. In a separate website update, Adora said delivery is scheduled for this year and said the ship is expected to operate international routes from its base in Guangzhou in southern China once delivered (described in one update as launching international itineraries later this year from Guangzhou).

Current fleet and year-round homeport coverage

Adora said it currently operates three large cruise ships: Adora Magic City, Adora Mediterranea, and Piano Land, which operates under the Astro Ocean Cruise banner. According to the company, the ships run year-round itineraries from homeports across East China, South China, North China, and Hong Kong.

Policy support highlighted as China promotes cruise travel

Adora’s milestone and shipbuilding updates come as China increases policy attention on cruise travel as part of broader efforts to stimulate domestic demand through services spending. Officials have pointed to cruise ships and yachts as areas with potential to expand the domestic travel market and diversify consumption tied to transport and tourism.

At a press conference in Beijing, Liu Dong, a senior official in the Ministry of Transport’s planning department, said eligible regions would receive support to enhance cruise services and expand cruise homeport route networks. The direction was outlined as part of a wider roadmap positioning the transport sector as a driver of domestic demand.

Adora said its next steps include executing the 2026 Adora Service Year priorities across its operating fleet while continuing to progress Adora Flora City toward delivery and eventual deployment from Guangzhou, with the ship’s handover timeline serving as a key indicator of how quickly the company can add capacity and develop international routes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Adora Magic City?

Adora Magic City is China’s first large, domestically built cruise ship. Adora Cruises said the ship has now carried 1 million passengers since it entered commercial service about two years ago.

What is the 2026 Adora Service Year program?

Adora describes the 2026 Adora Service Year as a company-wide effort to improve onboard guest experiences. The company said it will focus on strengthening professional service capabilities, refining service details and touchpoints, and offering more personalized responses to individual guest needs, as part of its Cruise + Culture brand direction.

What is the latest construction status for Adora Flora City?

Adora said Adora Flora City has achieved full-ship structural completion, with overall construction progress exceeding 91% (also described as more than 90% complete). The ship is being built by a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

When will Adora Flora City be delivered, and where will it sail?

Adora has cited different delivery timing in different communications: a press release set delivery for the end of 2026, while a separate website update said delivery is scheduled for this year. The website update also said the ship will operate international routes from Guangzhou in southern China after delivery.

What government policy support did officials highlight for cruise development?

Officials have highlighted cruise ships and yachts as areas that can help expand the domestic travel market and encourage services consumption. Liu Dong of the Ministry of Transport’s planning department said eligible regions would receive support to develop cruise services and expand cruise homeport route networks.