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This is Round Table.
In early June 2024, a first-of-its-kind departure slipped out of Shanghai:
the Adora Magic City, China's own mega cruise steamed straight for open water.
No foreign dock in sight, and then it doubled back to where it began.
No islands, no city breaks, just three days, two nights, and nothing but sea.
They're calling it a voyage to nowhere and travelers are all in.
They are lining up.
So what's the draw and why is this non-trip becoming the most buzzed-about experiment in China's tourism scene right now?
Coming to you live from our studios in Beijing, this is Round Table.
I'm Steve Hatherly.
Thanks for being with us today.
And for the show, I'm with Fei Fei and Yushan.
First up, in early June of this year, something unusual set sail from Shanghai.
The Adora Magic City, China's first domestically built large cruise ship, left port,
not bound for another country, but heading straight into open waters
and then turning around and coming back to where it started.
No stopovers, no sightseeing ports, just three days and two nights at sea.
It's called a cruise to nowhere and tourists are loving it.
So what does this trip mean and why does the very idea of a vacation like this