Disney Cruise Line is to take on a partly-completed mega cruise ship Global Dream which was left uncompleted with the failure of former Crystal Cruises owner Genting Hong Kong.
The 208,000-gross-ton ship is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be powered by green methanol, one of the lowest emission fuels available.
Disney Cruise Line expects the passenger capacity to be about 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.
It will be based outside the US and is due to enter service in 2025.
The company confirmed the acquisition of the vessel “that will bring the magic of a Disney Cruise Line vacation to new global destinations”.
Disney “will work with the esteemed Meyer Werft shipbuilding company to complete the cruise ship previously known as the Global Dream in Wismar, Germany.
“The ship will be renamed with certain features reimagined under the world-renowned expertise of Walt Disney imagineers and is expected to set sail in 2025.”
More details about the maiden voyage, itineraries and on board experiences will be announced at a later date.
Construction will be completed at the former MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, under the management of Meyer Werft, the Papenburg-based company that built the ships Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish.
The giant ship’s previous owner filed for bankruptcy in January before completing it.
This enabled Disney Cruise Line to secure it “at a favourable price” and within the Walt Disney Company’s capital expenditure guidance.
The project also secures employment for hundreds of former MV Werften employees and will provide opportunities for numerous maritime industry suppliers in the region.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro added: “Our cruise ships give us the unique opportunity to bring Disney magic to fans no matter where they are, and the addition of this ship will make a Disney Cruise Line vacation accessible to more families than ever before.”
Disney Cruise Line recently announced its first cruises for passengers in Australia and New Zealand beginning in late 2023.
Genting Hong Kong was a global leisure, entertainment and hospitality business, which included Genting Cruise Lines – Star Cruises, Dream Cruises and Crystal Cruises – plus two German shipyards, MV Werften and Lloyd Werft, and Resorts World Manila in the Philippines.
The Crystal Cruises brand and two ocean-going ships were acquired by Abercrombie & Kent and one European river ship by a start-up company Riverside Luxury Cruises. Silversea Cruises bought Crystal Cruises’ expedition vessel Crystal Endeavor for $275 million for deployment in Antarctica.