New Cruise Ships Start Build in Germany
Genting Hong Kong and its Hong Kong–German shipbuilding group, MV Werften, announced a new Universal Class of cruise ships targeted at customers outside of Genting's cruise brand portfolio of Dream, Crystal and Star.
The keel-laying of the second 208,000 gross ton Global Class ship for Dream Cruises took place December 10 at MV WERFTEN in Rostock.
The midship section of the Global Class ship is being produced in Rostock. The transfer of the first 160,000 gross ton midship section for the first Global Class ship – the Global Dream – from Rostock to the covered dock of Wismar was completed only two weeks ago.
At 235m long and 20 decks high, the mid-section was the largest man-made ship structure to be towed from one location to another.
The keel-laying for the second Global Class ship was attended by guests from the State and Federal Government, business leaders as well as media representatives from Germany and Asia. Western-Pomerania’s Economics Minister Harry Glawe, Genting Hong Kong’s Chairman and CEO Tan Sri KT Lim, Deputy CEO Hui Lim, Group President Colin Au, Genting Cruise Line President, Kent Zhu, Dream Cruises President Michael Goh and MV WERFTEN’s CEO Peter Fetten. All participants placed the traditional lucky coins on the keel block before the 95m high gantry crane lowered the 470ton section into position.
“We are here for the keel laying of the second Global Class ship,” said Tan Sri KT Lim, “But more importantly, we are starting the design and building of the next series of ships, the Universal Class ships, the first to be delivered by the end of 2022.”
At 88,000 gross tons in size and 2,000 guests, the Universal Class ships are large enough to have all the main amenities of larger cruise ships but without the crowded public space and lines of 5,000+ passenger cruise ships.
Genting will operate the Universal Class ships for global hotel brands, who want to enter the cruise industry, but are unable to do so as almost all building slots are occupied till the end of the decade.
