The Shanghai Shipbuilding Company China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) has launched a project to build the first cruise ship in China made entirely of Chinese steel and components. The customer was Carnival Corp., which paid an advance of $ 260 million two years ago specifically to upgrade the shipyard.
The first ocean liner is planned to be launched in four years, and in another year - the second. The cost of each of them is $ 770 million, which is about 20 percent less than the cost of similar ships built in Europe.
Cruise ship designs are comparable in complexity to naval shipbuilding, and more than any other class of ships, they depend on a network of qualified suppliers for specialized work - from black metal for the hull to galley fixtures and luxurious interiors.
Completing the construction contract will require the coordinated work of more than 500 suppliers and 12 million man-hours of labor.
The Chinese cruise market is an important source of growth for the global cruise industry, and experts predict that it will one day become the largest regional segment in the world.
In confirmation of the importance of this market, the US-based cruise company, headquartered in Miami, Royal Caribbean, has announced that it is going to personalize its next Oasis class super-large vessel for the Chinese market when it debuts in 2021.
“Royal Caribbean is renowned for innovation and continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and the Oasis-class vessel in China is proof of that,” RCL President and CEO Michael Bailey said last week.
