China's first homegrown cruise ship was floated in the shipyard of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd on Friday morning, marking a new milestone in the vessel's construction.

The floating of the vessel indicates that the construction of the 135,500-ton Vista-class vessel is at the halfway mark. The next phase of construction will involve interior decorations and system debugging. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in September 2023.

A cruise vessel is regarded as one of the most challenging ships to build due to the high standards in design, craftsmanship, operation, and management. It is the only high value-added vessel that China has yet to construct.