Disney Cruise Line has announced that it has indeed purchased the 6,000-passenger, partially finished Global Dream cruise ship. The vessel, currently in the Wismar shipyard in Germany, was formerly owned by the now-bankrupt Genting Cruise Lines.
This confirmation comes following rumors that Disney was interested in taking over the ship’s construction.
Disney Purchases Global Dream Cruise Ship
We finally know the outcome of the much talked about Global Dream cruise ship, which had a very unclear future for many months. Disney Cruise Line has now confirmed that it has purchased the vessel, which will join the Disney fleet in 2025.
The Global Dream was under construction at the Wismar shipyard for the former Asia-based Genting Cruise Lines. However, in early 2022 the cruise company, owned by Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, went bankrupt, and the future of the giant cruise ship was unknown.
Speculation not only included the idea of another line purchasing the vessel, but also that the ship might have been scrapped before it was ever completed. Now, the finishing will be completed according to Disney Cruise Line’s specifications.
Her sister ship, also under construction but not nearly as completely finished, is to be scrapped.
“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,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Disney Cruise Line will take over the ship’s construction with the popular Meyer Werft shipbuilding company based in Germany. The vessel construction will be adjusted to have the signature Disney look, along with features and experiences for which the cruise line is well-known.
The ship, which has not yet been named for Disney Cruise Line, will include the iconic Mickey-Mouse-inspired colors and the classic Disney funnels, just like the other five ships in the fleet.
Disney has confirmed that the vessel will be based outside the U.S. market and that further itinerary details will be revealed in the future.
The ship will join the Disney Wish, which debuted in June 2022 and was also constructed by Meyer Werft but at the Papenburg shipyard. Other ships in the fleet include Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy.
A Bargain for Disney
With Genting falling under earlier this year, the Global Dream has become an attractive option for Disney as it was able to secure the new vessel at a bargain price, though the final price of the purchase has not been revealed.
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The purchase also ensures the continued employment of hundreds of workers who were formerly employed by the MV Werften shipyard, which is where the vessel was under construction before being paused.
Global Dream had an initial construction price of 1.6 billion Euros ($1.66 billion USD) and is already 75% complete.
The ship was originally scheduled to be already sailing in 2022 under Genting’s Dream Cruises brand and as one of the largest cruise ships in the world, rivaling Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels.
Now under the guidance of Meyer Werft, the vessel is still set to be an impressive 208,000 gross tons, with an approximate guest capacity of 6,000 at double occupancy and as many as 9,500 passengers when fully booked.
If these numbers remain accurate after finishing the vessel for Disney’s specifications, the new ship could easily become the largest ship in the world according to passenger capacity.
Nearly 2,300 international crew members will provide service on the vessel.
She will not be named Global Dream and will adopt a new name that Disney will announce at a later date.
The ship, which will also be the largest for the cruise line, will be fueled with green methanol, among the lowest-emission fuels available.
