- For the Chinese shipbuilding industry, last December 17th was a historic date, it took place the technical launch of the first large cruise ship built in a Chinese shipyard.
- The hull, still rough but fully decorated, was made to float with the flooding of the construction dock.
- To celebrate the event, a rainbow was created in the bow of the ship using water jets as a sign of good luck.
- Now the ship, 55% complete, has been transferred to the fitting quay to continue work on the technical equipment and hotel fittings.
A recent news article published in the D1softball News by Zach Shipman states that China launches the first cruise ship built in collaboration with Fincantieri – The Medi Telegraph.
When did the event start?
This event comes after a long journey that began over 7 years ago with the first agreement between Carnival Corporation & Plc., Fincantieri and Lloyd’s Register for industry development in China.
The actual order for the first two ships of about 135,000 gross tons came in 2018 following the stipulation of a joint venture between the American cruise giant, the Italian company and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).
The two cruise ships are based on the “Vista” class project developed by Fincantieri for the Carnival Cruise Line and Costa Cruises brands.
Like the 5 sisters of “Italian” construction, they will be 323 meters long, 37.20 wide and will have a capacity of 5,246 passengers. Obviously the interiors will follow the wishes of the tourists with almond eyes.
Fincantieri and CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co. Ltd
The joint venture set up by Fincantieri and CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co. Ltd licenses the shipyard Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. (SWS) the technological platform and a series of technical services, including project management, supply chain management and sale of fundamental systems and components.
Leaving the construction of the hull in Chinese hands, the technical and hotel outfitting of these two ships is becoming a business with great potential for the “Made in Italy” industry.
Delivery is scheduled for 2023 and 2024. With this in mind the order received by the Pordenone company Marine Interiors, controlled by Fincantieri, for the supply of approximately 2,800 prefabricated cabins for the first planned unit; Another local company that has already announced to be a protagonist in China is the Treviso-based Somec.
“Being the most difficult units to design and build, large cruise ships are the only high-tech, high-value-added naval products that China has not yet been able to build,” CSSC said in a statement.
“The number of parts and components on a large cruise ship is five times that of other types of ships. The cabling alone reaches over 2,600 miles and the total hours worked for the entire ship are 20 times that of a bulk carrier Capesize“.
SWS shipyard, controlled by CSSC
The SWS shipyard, controlled by CSSC, began work in October 2019 with the cutting of the first sheet and, despite Covid, continued the work up to the setting of the hull in the dock on 10 November 2020.
Delivery of the first ship is scheduled for September 2023. Long times if we compare them to the realization of the Carnival Vista prototype in Monfalcone between 2014 and 2016: the Isonzo shipyard had taken about 9 months for the assembly of the hull and another ten for the hotel set-up.
These numbers show us how complex it is still for a Chinese shipyard to be as competitive as a European one in high-tech construction.
First entirely national cruise ship
Despite this, China is studying the project of its first entirely national cruise ship: it will certainly be necessary to see how the cruise sector in China will develop in the coming years after the setback due to Covid.
An unknown factor is also how the newly launched ship will be “branded”: in fact CSSC has not communicated neither the name nor the final livery, although in a presentation model the ship appeared in AIDA colors. Who knows if this new company will bring a new name or not, for now the two ships taken over by Costa Cruises keep the Italian name and livery
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Source: D1softballnews
