First homegrown cruise ship takes shape

cruise ship to be built in theChinese mainland.

The Hong Kong company will order two new liners from the CSSC-Fincantieri joint venture. It has an option to order four more home-built ships.

The construction of China’s first cruise ship will help improve various sectors of the domestic shipbuilding ecosystem, said Chen of Waigaoqiao.

According to Wu Zhenglian, in spite of China’s strength in building other types of vessels, the construction of a cruise ship would be a new experience as it has special requirements in craftsmanship, quality and other specifications.

Preparation for the project began in 2014. The design of the vessel would need at least 1 million man-hours. The construction requires more than 3,000 skilled workers with professional education and technical knowledge, according to Chen.

Wu Zhenglian said the building process of the first two vessels would need extra time as it involves professionals from different cultures, who may take some time to learn to work together.

That also presents a great opportunity for Chinese manufacturers to gather experience of multicultural workplaces and learn foreign shipbuilding techniques.

To meet the stiff deadline and avoid any time overrun that would result in huge losses, the shipbuilder needs to access a global supply chain as well as a network of domestic suppliers that can provide high-quality components, Wu said.