Other Things You'll Want to Know - January 17, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Genting Hong Kong expanded MV Werften with the acquisition of Neptun Ship Design
• Carnival declared a quarterly dividend

Details appeared in the January 17 edition of Cruise News Dailiy. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - November 29, 2018

CND subscribers also read about:

• A big change in the penalty if Carnival finds you smoking anything in a non-smoking area
• The end of the Asian chapter in NCL's history

Details appeared in the November 29 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

A Big Dream

Yesterday, MV Werften (the chain of German shipyards owned by Genting) laid the keel for the first 204,000-ton Global-class ship for the Dream Cruises brand.

The block itself which was lowered into the dry dock was 22 meters long (72 feet), 26 meters wide (85 feet) and weights 410 tons.

With 2,500 staterooms and suites a total berth capacity of 9,500 passengers, and sized at 204,000-tons (approaching Symphony of the Seas' 228,000 tons), the ship will be the largest ever built in Germany.

The complete story appeared in the September 12 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Rendering courtesy of MV Werften. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

MV Werften Solves Housing Shortage

The shipbuilding business is booming at MV Werften in Germany, the shipyards owned by Genting Hong Kong. The shipyards are busy building ships for brands owned by Genting. They are ramping up production so much they are increasing employment to about 1,500, plus a large number of outside contractors.

Housing in the Wismar area is limited, and to solve that problem, Genting is sending Star Cruise's (a Genting brand) Superstar Libra to the yard to be used as a residential ship beginning in August.

The complete story appeared in the July 24 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - June 21, 2018

CND subscribers also read about:

• Bahama Paradise Line's new program for solo travelers
• A change at the top of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
• The end of an era for Norwegian Cruise Line

Details appeared in the June 21 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - March 9, 2018

CND subscribers also read about:

• An additional security alert for Playa del Carmen
• More info about Genting's Global-class

Details appeared in the March 9 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - March 8, 2018

CND subscribers also read about:

• A passenger going overboard from Norwegian Epic and living to tell about it 
• Viking Sun being christened in Shanghai
• MV Werften beginning construction of their 204,000-ton Global-class and Genting saying they will transfer it to their Dream brand which will use it to expand globally. 

Details appeared in the March 8 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Construction has begun on the 204,000-ton Global-class which Dream Cruises will be used to expand globally 

Rendering courtesy of MV Werften. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Private Islands Aren't Just for Caribbean Cruises Anymore

Private islands and self-contain resorts have become a staple of the American cruise industry. Genting Cruise Lines announced today they will develop a private island in Asia (their home base) for their brands in Myanmar. The Lonely Planet travel guide selected Myanmar (the former Burma) as one of the top ten countries to visit in 2017.

Plans call for the development of a facility on MacLeod Island for the use of passengers of Genting's three brands: Crystal Cruises, Dream Cruises and Star Cruises. The Genting operation will be a self-contained resort (rather than a truly private island) much as is Royal Caribbean's Labadee or Carnival's Grand Turk Cruise Center.

MacLeod Island is located in the Myeik Archipelago in southern Myanmar, and features untouched tropical forests, unspoiled white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters.

The complete story appeared in the November 3 edition of Cruise News Daily.

The unspoiled beaches and forests that will be part of the Genting facility on MacLeod Island

Photos courtesy of Genting Cruise Lines. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Genting Dream Arrives Home

Genting Dream arrived at its home port of Hong Kong on Monday, ready to begin its pattern of two-night weekend cruises and five-night voyages to Vietnam. The event marked the first time a ship of this size (151,300 tons) has been homeported at Hong Kong.

The complete story appeared in the November 16 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Genting Dream arriving Hong Kong

Photo courtesy of Dream Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied o used without express permission. 

Genting Dream Delivered

Meyer Werft handed over Genting Dream to Genting's Dream Cruises brand today at Bremerhaven, and began a new era in the cruise industry.

We say “new era” because this is the first ship of the first premium/luxury cruise brand created specifically for the Chinese market. The ship will be based in China, and the company is headquartered there.

The complete story appeared in the October 12 edition of Cruise News Daily.

The special lighting installed aboard Genting Dream can not only create graphic patterns but also put them into motion.

Genting Dream has the magnet resonance tomography at sea installed in its spa.

Photos courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - September 28, 2016

CND subscribers also read about:

• Genting Hong Kong making a further investment in the German shipyards it bought
• P&O Australia's special cruise for the Australian Open
• Carnival Corp donating to a new museum
• Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Catherine) are on a state visit to western Canada, and their sightseeing took them to the port at Vancouver on Monday. While they didn't visit the ships, Holland America's Noordam and Zaandam made a lovely background for the photos at the port, as seen below:

Photo courtesy of Holland America Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Johnnie Walker's Affluent Cousin Goes to Sea

Genting Hong Kong's new Dream Cruise brand has scored a partnership with a familiar brand to Americans and Europeans, but for an unfamiliar strategy to them.

Genting Dream will be Dream Cruises' first ship, entering service in October. The premium line will be marketing to Chinese and Asians. Genting Dream will also be the home of the first Johnnie Walker House at sea.

Details appeared in the July 28 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Genting Combines Acquisition under New Name

After a staff meeting in Germany yesterday, Genting Hong Kong has renamed the group of three shipyards they purchased in Germany last April, gave a clear definition to what they will be focused on, and laid out a course for them for the future.

The three yards in Wismar, Rostock and Stralsund will henceforth be known as MV Werften.

The complete story appeared in the July 8 edition of Cruise News Daily.

And That Ain’t All

Yesterday we reported that Crystal contracted for a total of eight new ships (including six river vessels) with the Lloyd Werft Group of yards. Parent company (of both Crystal and Lloyd Werft) Genting Hong Kong also had another order up their sleeve.

At the same time, they ordered two additional ships from Lloyd for their Star Cruise brand. With them, it seems Star is being positioned to make an impact both in the Chinese market and the global cruise industry.

The two ships ordered from Lloyd Werft are the first of a class which Star is calling “Global Class” and are sized at a whopping 201,000 gross tons with 5,000 lower berths.

The complete story appeared in the May 11 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Star Cruises Global Class

Rendering courtesy of Genting Hong Kong. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - April 26, 2016

CND subscribers also read about:

• The Cake Boss exiting Norwegian Cruise Lines, but they won't be cakeless.
• Genting Hong Kong completing acquisition of three more German shipyards with impressive assents to help the company build ships for their three brands: Crystal Cruises, Dream Cruises and Star Cruises. 

The complete stories appeared in the April 26 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

A Different Approach

At the height of the cruise line building boom, cruise lines all expressed concern that they might not be able to get slots for their orders at shipyards when they needed them, so they worked around this by ordering ships farther out than they really wanted to, just to ensure they could get a slot which they could later trade between brands they owned.

Genting Hong Kong which is building ships for its three brands (Crystal, Star and Dream), today announced the acquisition of Nordic Yards’ three shipyards in Wismar, Warnemunde and Stralsund (Germany) for 230.6 million Euros. Genting’s CEO, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, said the action, along with their recent acquisition of Lloyd Werft, will ensure that Genting could build the number of ships they will require over the next decade on their time schedule.

The complete story appeared in the March 2 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - February 24, 2016

CND subscribers also read about:

• Meyer Werft cutting the first steel for the second ship for Genting's Dream Cruises brand. 
• When Royal Caribbean International says they are "Autism Friendly," they mean it. 

The complete stories appeared in the February 24 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Genting Buys the Balance

Back in September when Genting Hong Kong announced their purchase of the majority stake in German shipbuilder Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven and its real estate affiliate Lloyd Investitions und Verwaltungs, they said they retained an option to purchase the remaining shares. Today they said they were exercising that option.

Details appeared in the January 4 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Meyer Lays Keel for Genting Dream

Meyer Werft laid the keel for Genting Dream Thursday at their Papenburg yard. The newbuild carries the yard number S.711.

The first block, weighing 740 tons, was lowered into place in Meyer’s covered building dock. It is resting on the traditional lucky coin that was placed on the bracing by Genting Chairman Tan Sri Lim and Bernard Meyer. It is the first of 92 blocks that will comprise the ship.

The complete story appeared in the December 4 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

Genting Inks Deal to Acquire Lloyd Werft

Genting Hong Kong, the parent of Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises and a stakeholder in NCLH with their various brands, is getting into the shipbuilding business. The Asian-based company said today they have struck a deal to acquire a majority share of the German shipyard, Lloyd Werft which is located at Bremerhaven.

The complete story appeared in the September 17 edition of Cruise News Daily.