Voyage to Build China's Cruise Dream

The docks of Shanghai are a long way from the Adriatic Sea. But that is exactly where Marco Rovati, a Croatian cruise ship expert with 30 years of European experience, chose to drop anchor.

"Coming to China to oversee the construction of China's homegrown cruise ships was the most correct decision in my life," he told Science and Technology Daily.

Decision forged by determination

What attracted him away from a successful European career? Not money but potential and sincerity. For decades, China had aspired to the "jewel in the crown of the shipbuilding industry," the large cruise ship. But unlike other nations, "China didn't just have dreams. It acted," Rovati said.

When CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co., Ltd. (CCTD) invited him to participate in the Adora Magic City project, he witnessed a "firm determination" unseen in most European shipyards. Nearly 6,000 researchers from more than 40 domestic units were mobilized to tackle the core technologies bottlenecks.

"This kind of national-level attention and industrial potential is unmatched in many European countries where the cruise ship industry was in a stagnant state at that time," he explained.

Croatia has a rich maritime tradition and Rovati had to adapt his management style to China's unique working culture. He noted that unlike the relatively independent work mode in Europe, Chinese teams emphasize "close collaboration and efficient execution."

Instead of simply imposing international standards, he integrated his experience with local realities, establishing a multi-level, distributed dynamic management system to break down the colossal project into manageable modules.

Witnessing 'Chinese speed'

A large cruise ship consists of over 25 million parts. For Rovati, the single biggest challenge regarding the Adora Magic City was the integration of thousands of systems, particularly addressing three world-class technical difficulties: vibration and noise reduction, weight control, and safe return-to-port capability.

In the joint technical team he guided international standards while Chinese engineers tackled key bottlenecks. Through day-and-night labor, they achieved seamless integration.

What truly stunned the veteran expert was "Chinese speed." Rovati gave a specific, quantifiable example.

The second domestic ship, the Adora Flora City, is larger than its predecessor, the Adora Magic City. Its atrium is 17.4 meters longer, requiring higher structural strength. Yet its total construction cycle has been shortened by eight months.

"According to the international conventional construction cycle, the construction period of the second ship should be similar to (the first ship's) or even longer," Rovati said. Instead, the ship is now 85 percent complete, with delivery expected by the end of 2026.

He pointed to the prefabricated cabin process as the key: The Chinese team optimized international methods, prefabricating over 1,100 cabins as independent units in a factory before integrating them into the hull. During a critical period, the team completed a task scheduled for three months in just one month.

"This kind of efficiency, which combines diligence, professionalism, and team collaboration, is the true 'Chinese speed' in my eyes," he said.

Mission beyond ships

Rovati's mission is not only to oversee the construction of two ships. It is to build capability. He said his proudest achievement was watching the Chinese on-site supervision team on the Adora Flora City achieve independent technical review for the first time.

Today, an 18-member supervision team is independently solving technical problems, from structural optimization to system debugging. "Their growth means that China has initially established an independent technical supervision system for large cruise ships," he said.

What principles is he trying to pass on? Three things: respect for details, courage to innovate, and adherence to responsibility.

For the first, it should be borne in mind that on a ship with 25 million parts, a one-millimeter deviation in thin steel plate welding can affect the entire weight balance.

On innovation, he said while learning from abroad is vital, the Chinese team's optimization of prefabricated cabin technology and digital twins is the real victory.

Finally, he reminds his young colleagues that a cruise ship carries thousands of lives. "This is not just a job, but a commitment to safety and trust."

A second home

With the Adora Magic City already serving over one million tourists and achieving a passenger satisfaction rate of over 95 percent, Rovati is ambitious for the next decade. He predicts China will evolve from an "industry latecomer" to a "core force" and "leader" in the global cruise industry.

He cited the massive domestic market potential, expecting annual throughput to exceed five million passenger trips in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), making China the world's second-largest cruise market.

Personally for him, China is no longer just a workplace. He calls it his "second home." "I have witnessed the great changes in China's cruise industry from 'zero' to ranking among the world's cruise shipbuilding countries," Rovati said. "I have also formed deep friendships with Chinese colleagues."

What keeps him motivated? The rapid development and growth of his team. Every time he sees the steady progress of the Adora Flora City or a young member make a breakthrough, he feels his efforts are worthwhile.

"I hope to continue to stay here, act as a bridge for Sino-foreign technical cooperation and talent exchange, and witness China's cruise ships sail as a shining business card of China's high-end manufacturing industry."

HAO Xueying and HUI Shengyao from CCTD also contributed to this article.

Source: Science and Technology Daily