The 2025-built (as Global Dream) cruise ship Disney Adventure is currently under construction in Germany, being built by Meyer Werft Wismar for DCL-Disney Cruise Line. This is the first of two GLOBAL class units ordered by GHK-Genting Hong Kong Ltd (1993-founded/2022-defunct) for the holding company's Asian subsidiaries/brands Dream Cruises and Star Cruises. The first liner (Global Dream) was scheduled for launch in 2020 (inauguration in December) but, due to the Coronavirus crisis was postponed for 2022-Q1.
The second vessel (unnamed sistership/IMO 9808998) was planned for Star Cruises and scheduled for launch and inauguration in 2023) but its name was never announced. After GHK filed for bankruptcy (on January 19, 2022), Global Dream's construction was halted/paused. Reportedly, at the time, the vessel was ~70% completed.
By passenger capacity (9500 max plus 2200 crew, or total 11700 as originally designed/total 2350 staterooms), GHK's GLOBAL-Class represented the world's largest cruise liners ever built.
The vessel (IMO number 9808986) will be Bahamas-flagged (MMSI number tba) and registered in Nassau.
With redesigned max passenger capacity ~6000 (plus ~2300 crew), Disney Adventure is expected to enter service for DCL in 2025, with inaugural deployment in East Asia and homeporting in Singapore. The Maiden Voyage's date and itineraries are yet to be announced.
History - construction and ownership
On June 11, 2022, Christoph Morgen (GHK's MV Werften's insolvency administrator) announced that the unfinished sistership (the second GLOBAL-class unit/"Global Dream 2") will be sold for scrap. The unit had a completed lower hull with installed machinery (Including the engines) and some of the systems. The plan was for the installed systems and machinery to be removed and sold, and the half-finished hull to be separately sold at scrap prices.
On October 6, 2022, NDR 1 Radio MV (part of NDR-Norddeutscher Rundfunk German news agency) reported that the unfinished (~75-80% completed) mega-liner could be purchased by DCL-Disney Cruise Line. In an interview, Christoph Morgen said that there are purchase negotiations with DCL. The vessel will be completed in Wismar (under Meyer Werft's Papenburg yard's management) and could be delivered/inaugurated in 2024-Q4.
While the possible purchase price was not mentioned, the previously stated shipbuilding cost was EUR 1,6 billion. DCL's purchase interest was not officially announced, but on October 4th, Reinhard Meyer (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister of Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labor) mentioned "confidential negotiations" and that completing Global Dream will secure the employment of MV Werften Wismar's ~950 former employees. Global Dream's construction was suspended in January 2022 when MV Werften filed for bankruptcy.
Industry experts commented that with Global Dream Disney might enter the Asian market.
On November 16, 2022, DCL officially confirmed Global Dream's acquisition. The purchase of the unfinished vessel was announced by Josh D'Amaro (Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences & Products). On November 30th was announced that Disney acquired the unfinished vessel (originally valued at EUR 1,8 billion) for just EUR 40 million.
Disney took over the vessel without warranty claims and stated that would complete/rebuild the liner at its own risk and expense, planning to invest ~EUR 1 billion for its conversion. It was commented that the cheap sale could result in a failure of the guarantees given for this shipbuilding project. Reportedly, GHK-Genting had taken out loans of EUR 650+ million from a consortium of 16 banks for Global Dream. To a large extent, the loans' repayment was secured by guarantees from the federal (Germany's) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state governments.
The ship's new name (Disney Adventure) was officially announced on September 9, 2023.
DCL-Disney Cruise Line is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (shipowner). The company was incorporated in 1996 as "Magical Cruise Company Ltd". Walt Disney also owns the Bahamian private island Castaway Cay (exclusive port of call - for Disney ships only), an exclusive Cruise Terminal at Port Canaveral (Orlando) Florida USA and the exclusive Lighthouse Point (privately-developed cruise resort complex on Eleuthera Island, Bahamas). Disney cruises are marketed as "family vacations" and feature unique and exclusive activities, such as costumed Disney Characters, adults-only deck areas, dedicated facilities for teens, kids and infants-toddlers, signature (trademarked) shipboard facilities and activities, themed live entertainment.
GHK was a global entertainment, hospitality, and leisure company based in Hong Kong. It ordered two cruise vessels to be custom-built to serve the Asian market, specifically China. With the new Dream Cruises brand, the company started to offer a separate brand for each of its market segments, with the other two being Crystal Cruises (luxury segment) and Star Cruises (contemporary segment).
The financing package for both Global Class units (EUR 2,6 billion / ~EUR 1,3 billion per vessel) was structured by KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH as part of a consortium which also included BNP Paribas (France), Citibank (USA), Credit Agricole Group (France), DescriptionCredit Suisse Group AG (Switzerland) and DescriptionDNB ASA (Norway). The newbuilds are planned for assembly at 3 different MV Werften-owned shipyards. GHK's total investment in this shipbuilding project is ~EUR 3,1 billion (~USD 3,44 billion). The package was backed/guaranteed by Finnvera (Finland).
What is known so far is that the Global Dream ship will be China-deployed the whole year-round leaving on roundtrips from homeport Shanghai. Between April 2019 and March 2020, in Shanghai was also homeported the fleetmate Explorer Dream (managed by Star Cruises). The new Dream Cruises ship Global Dream will be homeported in China during summer, and during winter - in either Australia or the USA-Caribbean.
With GT 204,000 tons and max passenger capacity 9500, Global Dream is one of the largest passenger liners in the world. For comparison, the ever-largest (Royal Caribbean's Oasis-Class) have GT tonnage 228,000 tons.
In May 2019 were unveiled more GHK GLOBAL-Class vessel details. They are designed to have the industry's first Theme Park at Sea, the largest Cinema at Sea, the world's longest Roller Coaster at Sea, the industry's largest standard-category staterooms (sized 20 m2), Panoramic Atrium elevators (glass-walled and bottomed lifts) plus 8x 2-lane escalators,as well as self-guided robotic assistants.
The ship's Roller Coaster (named "Space Cruiser Coaster") is the main attraction of the "Dream Park at the Pier" (company's first "theme park" concept), which also includes a bouncing activity area, a separate trampoline park, various Aqua Park facilities (including surfing simulator and racing waterslides).
Space Cruiser has 300 m (985 ft) long track and 3 Spike carts (with positive locking devices and powerful electric motors). The roller coaster allows 1+ G (gravitational acceleration almost everywhere on track) and max speed 60 kph (37 mph). Each Spike cart accommodates max two riders (inline seats) and features an integrated throttle control of the speed.
Fun fact is that the Space Cruiser Coaster was first constructed on land for testing. Once completed, the roller coaster was dismantled and transported to MV Werften's shipyard for final assembly. The roller coaster's s builder (Munich Germany-based company Maurer AG / fka Maurer Sohne GmbH und Co KG) specializes in steel construction and roller coaster manufacturing. Space Cruiser Coaster's design is based on Maurer's trademarked "Spike Coaster" (powered coaster) driven by a rack (counter-toothing / row of gear teeth fixed along the track) and pinion (gear on the vehicle that propels it down the track).
MS Global Dream's facilities include:
- The Plaza
- Town Square
- Zouk Beach Club
- Red Tail Social Games Lounge
- Horizon Lounge
- Dream Avenue (multi-purpose outdoor avenue / in-ship Promenade)
- Multiplex Cinema (a complex of 8 theaters, each convertible to a venue for group meetings and themed events)
- The Palace - luxury "ship-within-a-ship" concept
- Luxury Suites
- DFS-T Gallery at Sea (Duty-Free Shops)
MS Global Dream has a huge duty-free shopping mall (DFS-T Gallery at Sea) operated via partnership between Genting Cruise Lines, DFS and Starboard Cruise Services. DFS Group (1960-founded, Hong Kong China-based travel retailer) and Starboard Cruise Services (1958-founded premier cruise retailer) are both subsidiaries of LVMH (1987-founded, Paris France-headquartered multinational). The onboard retail shops cover an area of ~18000 ft2 (1680 m2) and sell ultra-premium merchandise in the categories Food & Gifts, Beauty & Fragrance, Fashion & Accessories, Watches & Jewelry, with product introductions, brand-firsts and unique promotions.
In late July 2020, Dream Cruises debuted (on MS Explorer Dream) the "Flexi-Feast" - a completely customized shipboard dining (food and beverage) concept that allows passengers to choose from more venues. Upon boarding the ship, cruisers receive a set of complimentary dining vouchers which can be used at designated restaurants, as well as OBC (onboard credits) for ordering meals at specialty restaurants, beverages at bars and also for room-service orders.
Itineraries
In March 2023, Disney Cruise Line signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Singapore Tourism Board for homeporting the ship in Singapore (at Marina Bay Cruise Centre) for at least 5 years, starting in 2025 (through 2030).
In this period (2025-2030) DCL-Disney doesn't intend to deploy the new liner in regions operated with homeporting in the USA.
Disney commented that Singapore's strategic location, modern cruise port infrastructure, and international airport connections make it Southeast Asia's best hub for the cruise tourism industry, with a great potential to add millions of both local and foreign cruisers during the 5-year homeporting period.
Disney Adventure's Maiden Voyage and the inaugural season's itineraries (the exact Asian ports, as well as the relocation voyage from Europe to Asia/RepositionCruises.com) are to be announced sometime in 2024.
