Video | How will the second domestically produced large cruise ship be floated out and moored at the side? Reporter takes you to the scene

Today, the second domestically built large cruise ship, the “Aida·Huacheng” (爱达·花城号), officially left the shipyard (was launched), and has now fully moved into the dock construction and commissioning phase. In the future, it will open international routes with Guangzhou Nansha as its home port. According to the plan, the “Aida·Huacheng” will conduct a trial voyage in late May, with delivery scheduled before the end of the year.

A launch recap: How a 10,000-plus-ton cruise ship docks alongside sideways

In this launch of the “Aida·Huacheng,” a total of nine tugboats were involved. They used a “push from the front, pull from the back” method to slowly maneuver this big ship out of the dry dock. The video shows that the dry dock is just wide enough to accommodate a large cruise ship alongside a tugboat.

During the launch process, the tugboat at the stern mainly exerts the pulling force to draw the cruise ship out. The tugboats on the side need to stay tightly alongside the cruise ship so it won’t sway left and right within the dock. Finally, the tug at the bow also has to pull the cruise ship forward to prevent it from deviating from the planned track.

Make an image-based metaphor: A dry dock is like an “assembly workshop.” Today’s launch is like a brand-new car coming off the production line—now it needs to be “pushed out” of the workshop. After it’s “pushed out,” the tugboats then push the cruise ship sideways so it can complete a “side-by-side berth” maneuver.

Throughout the entire launch, multiple tugboats coordinated and worked in precision around the ship, providing escorting support. The whole process was smooth and well-ordered, demonstrating a very high level of operational accuracy.

Actually, besides the launch itself, docking is also a matter of careful consideration. In the video, what’s moored next to the pier is a barge, which effectively extends the pier’s boundary outward by more than a dozen meters. This approach also draws on the docking experience of the first cruise ship, using this method to protect the cruise ship’s hull.

“Aida·Huacheng” fully moves into the dock construction and commissioning phase

So what does the launch mean for this large cruise ship? A reporter interviewed Wei Shengsheng, Minister of the Offshore Shipbuilding Cruise Ship Project Department of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, part of CSSC. Tap the video ↓

Optimization and upgrades: Tailored to the needs of “family travel” and “silver-age tourism”

The “Aida·Huacheng” has a total length of 341 meters, with a gross tonnage exceeding 140,000 tons. Compared with the “Aida·Mandu” (爱达·魔都号), its gross tonnage has increased by nearly 7,000 tons, and its total length has grown by 17.4 meters—giving the ship more space to install additional advanced equipment.

**Chen Jianwei, Vice President of CSSC Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Chief Shipbuilder of the domestically built large cruise ship project: **It mainly shows in the increased space. With more space, there are more possibilities for the internal design of the entire ship. In addition, in terms of green and environmental protection, we have also upgraded and improved—adding two sets of desulfurization tower installations, as well as some selective catalytic reduction installations. We also optimized the design to meet the requirements of the new international safety regulations, so passengers can feel more at ease during the voyage.

According to information, besides the larger area of public spaces and advanced green environmental protection technologies, the “Aida·Huacheng” has also fully absorbed the operating experience gained since the “Aida·Mandu”’s first voyage in 2024. By combining with the consumption habits and preferences of Chinese tourists, it will be even more aligned with tourism needs such as “family travel” and “silver-age tourism.”

**Li Ming, General Manager of China Tourism Group Huaxia Cruise Co., Ltd.: **In product and service design, we are committed to creating a Lingnan-themed immersive seaborne community. We have also comprehensively upgraded the automation level of guest services, further introducing intelligent customer service, facial recognition, and AI robot applications. This will bring significant improvements in enhancing the efficiency of boarding and disembarking, as well as the intelligent interaction experience.

(CCTV General Station reporter Yang Xiao, Li Ning, Wu Tianbai, Zhang Hao, Xiao Bingyi)