In the world of cruise ships, few stories are as dramatic and unusual as that of Genting Hong Kong’s Global-class vessels.
What began as an ambitious vision to create the world’s largest cruise ships for the Asian market ended in bankruptcy, with one vessel scrapped before completion and another rescued by Disney in an unexpected twist of fate. This saga of shipbuilding dreams, pandemic nightmares, and corporate salvation represents one of the most fascinating chapters in modern maritime history.
The Grand Vision: Building Giants for Asian Waters
In May 2016, Genting Hong Kong ordered two massive cruise ships from its subsidiary Lloyd Werft Group for service in the Star Cruises fleet. These vessels, later designated as the Global-class, were envisioned as the largest cruise ships ever built in Germany, specifically designed to cater to the booming Asian cruise market.
With a planned size of 201,000 gross tons, a length of 1,122ft and a beam of 152ft, these ships would be among the largest passenger vessels in the world. Even more impressive was their passenger capacity: while designed to accommodate 6,000 passengers in standard double occupancy configuration, the ships were revealed to have an LSA capacity of 9,500 guests. This is the maximum capacity of a ship for Life Saving Appliance reasons. Meaning every single additional possible berth in a cabin (ie the third, fourth, and even fifth bunks in a cabin) are taken into account to ensure enough space in the lifeboats and life rafts.
The Global-class ships weren’t just meant to be big-they were intended to be technologically revolutionary. Genting’s chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay announced these would be “the most technologically advanced with artificial intelligence,” [This was in 2018, long before our current era of AI] featuring facial and voice recognition for most services, automated robots for mundane tasks, and free internet. One particularly unique feature was the inclusion of eight sets of escalators connecting public areas-a first for any cruise ship. (Oasis-class of course have two escalators going from the gangway up to the passenger decks, but nothing between the passenger decks)
Construction Begins: From Steel to Sea
After reorganizing the Lloyd Werft Group in July 2016 and forming MV Werften as a dedicated builder for large cruise ships, Genting Hong Kong transferred the Global-class order to its Dream Cruises brand. The actual construction didn’t begin until March 2018, with ceremonial steel cuttings for the first ship, Global Dream, held simultaneously at shipyards in Wismar and Rostock, Germany.
The keel laying ceremony for Global Dream then took place on September 11, 2018, marking the official start of construction for what would be the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany. Major components were built at both Wismar and Rostock shipyards, with final assembly taking place in Wismar. The ship was originally scheduled for delivery in late 2020, with its sister ship, Global Dream II, following in late 2021.
Details on what the final design of the ships would be as well as key features and venues had been scarce. Updated renders in early 2018 showed a water park and a large netted area on the top of the superstructure.
Later that same year, we did a deep dive into what all was known about the ship and discovered several interesting features that weren’t officially mentioned at that time. As mentioned above, details had always been scarce, and Genting always tight-lipped about this ambitious project.
The Pandemic Crisis: Dreams Meet Reality
As with countless businesses worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic delivered a devastating blow to Genting Hong Kong’s ambitious plans. The cruise industry was particularly hard hit, with global shutdowns and travel restrictions effectively halting operations worldwide.
In January 2022, the full impact became clear when MV Werften filed for bankruptcy. This was quickly followed by Genting Hong Kong filing for liquidation after failing to secure funding needed to meet its financial obligations. The company had exhausted “all reasonable efforts to negotiate with the relevant counterparties under its financing arrangements” and, with available cash balances due to run out by the end of January 2022, would no longer be able to pay its debts.
The situation was exacerbated when a German court denied Genting Hong Kong’s bid to compel payment of an $88 million backstop facility that the company claimed it was entitled to under previous agreements. Genting had been struggling with almost $2.8 billion in debt even before this final crisis.
Bankruptcy and Uncertainty: Ships Without a Home
With both MV Werften and Genting Hong Kong in bankruptcy proceedings, the fate of the partially completed Global-class ships hung in the balance. Construction on both vessels came to a grinding halt, leaving them stranded in German shipyards.
The insolvency administrator, Christoph Morgen of Brinkmann & Partner, began seeking buyers for the unfinished vessels, preferring companies that would complete them in Germany to provide employment for the workers of the closed shipyard in Wismar.
For Global Dream, there was hope. The vessel was buoyant and could be towed elsewhere if attached to an ocean tugboat. However, finding a buyer proved challenging as the ship was specifically designed for the Asian market, and a new owner would need to spend significant money redesigning it for deployment elsewhere.
The Swedish maritime company Stena AB initially showed interest but later dropped out due to uncertainty in the Asian cruise market, including China’s strict COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Two Different Fates: Scrapped Dreams and Disney Magic
The tale of the Global-class ships ultimately diverged into two very different endings. For Global Dream II, the less complete of the two vessels, the future was bleak. With no buyer found, attempts were made to sell some of the fixtures and engines, after which the half-finished keel would be sold for scrap. This represented an enormous waste of resources and a stark illustration of the pandemic’s impact on the cruise industry.
However, Global Dream had a more fortunate outcome. On November 16, 2022, Disney Cruise Line confirmed that it had acquired the unfinished vessel at what it described as a “favorable price”. Disney announced plans to work with cruise ship builder Meyer Werft (which had previously built several Disney ships) to complete Global Dream in Wismar, Germany.
Under Disney’s ownership, the ship would be renamed (later revealed as Disney Adventure) and certain features reimagined under the expertise of Walt Disney Imagineers. Disney plans to reduce the passenger capacity to approximately 6,000 from the maximum of 9,000 that Dream Cruises had announced, and areas such as the large casino will be redesigned.
The project secured employment for hundreds of former MV Werften employees and provided opportunities for numerous maritime industry suppliers in the region. Perhaps most interestingly, Disney announced that the ship would be fueled by green methanol, making an environmental advance out of what could have been a scrapping disaster.
From Vision to Reality: The Legacy of Global-Class
The saga of Genting’s Global-class ships represents both the ambition and vulnerability of the cruise industry. From innovative design features like artificial intelligence systems and public escalators to the economic realities of a global pandemic, these vessels embody the highs and lows of modern cruise ship development.
While one ship never made it past the early construction phase, the survival of Global Dream as the Disney Adventure ensures that at least part of Genting’s vision will eventually sail the seas. Set to launch in 2025, the vessel will be home ported in Singapore and only sail 3, 4, and 5-night cruises to nowhere. and will make Disney Cruise Line vacations “accessible to more families than ever before,” according to Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
The strange journey of these ships-from ambitious Asian cruise liners to bankruptcy casualties to Disney’s newest adventure-stands as one of the most unusual stories in cruise ship history.