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The 2024 Woodward Dream Cruise takes over metro Detroit's most famous road on Saturday, August 17, 2024! 

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On August 19, our two-hour Woodward Dream Cruise special airs on WXYZ-TV and streaming on WXYZ.com from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

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Disney Cruise Line Announces Purchase of Partially Completed Global Dream Cruise Ship – Expected to Set Sail in 2025 Deployed Outside of the United States

Today, Disney announced the acquisition of a partially completed ship 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.

“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.

The acquired Global Dream project will help Disney Cruise Line’s fleet to grow to 8 cruise ships and will not impact the 7th Triton Class cruise ship scheduled for after the launch of the Disney Treasure schedule for a 2024 launch.

The new ship, to be based outside the United States, will feature innovative Disney experiences along with the dazzling entertainment, world-class dining and legendary guest service that set Disney Cruise Line apart. The exterior will be adorned in the iconic, Mickey Mouse-inspired colors of the fleet, complete with signature red funnels.

The 208,000-gross-ton ship is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be fueled by green methanol, one of the lowest emission fuels available. Disney Cruise Line expects the passenger capacity to be approximately 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.

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 Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish. The ship’s previous owner filed for bankruptcy before completing the vessel, enabling Disney Cruise Line to secure it at a favorable price and within the capital expenditure guidance The Walt Disney Company provided on its recent earnings call. The project also secures employment for hundreds of former MV Werften employees and will provide opportunities for numerous maritime industry suppliers in the region.

When the construction halted at MV Weften at the beginning of 2022, the 208,000 GT Global Dream was three quarters complete. The cruise ship, which measures 342 meters (1,122 feet) in length, beam of 46.4m (152ft 3in), with a 9.5m (31ft 2 in) draft. Originally, the ship was designed to carry 9000 passengers.

The Global Dream was originally ordered on March 3, 2016, with the keel laid on September 11, 2018

More details about the maiden voyage, itineraries and onboard experiences will be announced at a later date.

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20 Replies to “Disney Cruise Line Announces Purchase of Partially Completed Global Dream Cruise Ship – Expected to Set Sail in 2025 Deployed Outside of the United States”

I hope they have a designer who has sailed on a ship before design this one as opposed to the Wish…….

I couldn’t agree more. Wish was a huge disappointment for us. Terrible layout, ridiculously small pools, awkward arrangement of stations in Marceline Market, rock hard sofas in the staterooms…definitely a “one and done” for us.

200% agreed! Once was enough for me!

Will this be ship #8 or are they going to cancel the third Triton class ship?

Will help the fleet expand to 8 ships.

Should have read it slower, I see this will be #8. Based outside the US makes me think they will finally break into the Asian cruise market.

That’s where this ship was supposed to be based anyway. Makes sense.

That is a monster of a ship that might eat up DCL in the end. Way too big to offer a premium product

I really hope they create some kind of subsidiary for this and don’t make this 6 funneled monster and instead make it closer to its original design under a different company centered around the Asian market.

NO! I was really hoping this was just a rumor. I think this is a (literally) HUGE mistake. How can they put the quality of theming we’re used to on a ship this massive? I have zero interest in this. I would prefer they build more ships the size of the Wonder and Magic. I LOVE those ships. I’m guessing it will cruise out of Asia – they can keep it!

I would also love to see a new build closer to the size of the Magic-class.

@ Heather and Scott, I agree 100%

i’m willing to bet they got a “GREAT” deal on this hull since it’s been sitting around with nowhere to go. Maybe saving a few bucks on construction will allow for lower sailing rates… and I realize how stupid that sounds as I type it. LOL!

Off to Asia (China?) and will cater for that market. Casino taking a good portion of the space.

Casino is being removed, according to the news article released in Germany.

Where will it’s itinerary’s be

Too big for my tastes!

The interesting thing to me is that Disney is going to have a single ship in their fleet that isn’t like the others and that they didn’t get to spec out. With the target sailing market also being separate from the rest of DCL, this acquisition will result in what I expect to be a very different experience from the rest of DCL. (And the opportunity for a sibling ship is lost since the Global’s sister ship wasn’t as far along and is already nearly fully scrapped out.)

I’m betting they will keep it in the Asis market as it makes sense of the ship as it was designed for that area and market. I’m betting $1.00 to a dozen donuts it will stay over in Asia and wouldn’t come to the US waters for a while. Good move Disney buying a cruise ship on the clearance rack.

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Disney Cruise Line will soon own one of the world's biggest cruise ships after surprise purchase

Disney Cruise Line will soon own one of the world's largest cruise ships — in what could be a play at breaking into the fast-growing Asian travel market.

The Florida-based cruising arm of tourism giant Disney announced late Wednesday that it was buying a massive, half-finished ship that was until recently under construction for Asia-based Dream Cruises.

Construction of the vessel, which was to be called Global Dream, was halted earlier this year after Dream Cruises collapsed along with sister brands Star Cruises and Crystal Cruises.

The three cruise lines were owned by Asia-based Genting Hong Kong, which went out of business.

Disney said it would work with Germany's Meyer Werft shipyard to complete the vessel, which was being built with specific venues designed to appeal to Asian families.

The line didn't say where it would deploy the ship, but it said in a press release that the vessel would bring Disney's style of cruise vacations to "new global destinations."

It also said the vessel, which will be renamed, would be based outside of the United States.

"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 of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Designed to be 208,000 tons, Global Dream would be the world's seventh-biggest cruise ship if it debuted today. But it was being built to hold a record-breaking 9,000 passengers.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Disney cruise

The large passenger count was being made possible by packing in a lot of cabins on the ship that could hold families of four.

In its announcement, Disney said the vessel would hold just 6,000 passengers, implying that the ship's cabin configurations would be redesigned.

Both the size of the vessel and its projected passenger count are far bigger than what is typical for a Disney ship. The line's five vessels range in size from 83,969 tons to 144,000 tons. They hold at most around 4,000 passengers.

Related: The ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line

Among the vessel features of Global Dream that were being specifically designed for the Asian market was a massive one-and-a-half-deck casino. Until now, Disney has not had casinos on any of its five vessels.

In its announcement, Disney said its designers, known as Imagineers, would work with Meyer Werft to add Disney-themed features to the ship. Once completed, the vessel will have "innovative Disney experiences along with the dazzling entertainment, world-class dining and legendary guest service that set Disney Cruise Line apart," the line said.

Disney also said the exterior of the ship would be adorned in the iconic Mickey Mouse-inspired colors of the fleet, complete with the line's signature red funnels.

The purchase of a half-finished ship originally slated for another cruise brand is a notably unusual move for Disney. The company likes to control the design and construction process of its resorts both on land and sea from the moment of their conception.

That said, Disney Cruise Line is in expansion mode. The brand already has two more new vessels on order for delivery in 2024 and 2025. The ships will be sisters to the line's recently unveiled Disney Wish .

Disney noted that the revamped Global Dream wouldn't be ready to sail until 2025.

The ship will be completed at the former MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, where it originally was under construction, under the management of Meyer Werft. Meyer Werft has built three of Disney's five existing vessels.

The line said more details about the ship's itineraries and onboard experiences would be announced at a later date.

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Disney cruise line to buy unfinished ship that will become largest in fleet.

Dream Cruises

This rendering shows plans for the Global Dream cruise ship for Dream Cruises, which in 2022 had to sell its assets when its parent company filed for bankruptcy. Disney Cruise Line will acquire the ship still under construction in Germany for a debut in 2025.

Disney Cruise Line announced it will take over construction of the Global Dream cruise ship, which was sold after its Dream Cruises went into bankruptcy.

The 208,000-gross-ton ship was being built for Genting Hong Kong, which ran Dream Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises as well as the Lloyd Werft and MV Werften shipyards. That holding group, though, filed for bankruptcy in January, and a court ordered the sale of its assets including the Global Dream.

What was originally targeted to serve the Chinese market, the Global Dream would have had the capacity for about 9,000 passengers. Disney Cruise Line has no intention of cramming that many people on board, but the ship is significantly larger than all of the existing ships in its fleet.

The new Disney Wish, which debuted at Port Canaveral this summer , comes in at 144,000 gross tons with 1,254 staterooms for a 2,508-passenger capacity based on double occupancy, but really aims for 4,000 passengers with the number of children on board, as well as another 1,555 crew.

Global Dream will get renamed with new plans for a maximum capacity of about 6,000 guests along with 2,300 crew members. The line said it will get a classic Disney look and feel and debut in 2025.

“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 of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products in a news release.

The cost was undisclosed, but the release said DCL was able to “secure it at a favorable price.”

The line said it plans to base the ship outside of the U.S. Global Dream’s original target was to sail to Asia, Oceania including Australia and the U.S. West Coast.

Construction will continue at the MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, which is now run by Meyer Werft, the shipyard company that built DCL’s last three vessels — Disney Wish, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream. It’s also set to complete Wish’s sister ship Disney Treasure in 2024 as well as a third yet-to-be-named ship in what is known as the Trident class of vessels in 2025.

By the end of 2025, the fleet will have grown to eight ships with the first two, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, having debuted in the late 1990s.

Of note, the ship will run on green methanol, which would make it one of the first in the cruise industry to use the low-emission fuel for the vessel. In an effort to stem environmental emissions, cruise lines have been switching from traditional diesel on new ships including the use of liquefied natural gas, which is what powers Disney Wish.

The announcement is a boon for the shipyard as well, which faced an uncertain future after the Genting bankruptcy.

Construction of the Global Dream began in 2018 and original plans called for it to have the longest roller coaster at sea , but what exactly will be on board for Disney Cruise Line has yet to be determined beyond that it will “feature innovative Disney experiences.”

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Disney acquires world’s biggest ship Global Dream amid company bankruptcy

The “world’s largest” cruise ship was set to be scrapped after the shipbuilding company filed for bankruptcy. But Disney pounced on it.

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The “world’s largest” cruise ship, which was set to be scrapped before its maiden voyage, has now been acquired by Disney.

German-Hong Kong shipbuilding firm MV Werften had nearly completed construction of the ship — Global Dream II — when it filed for bankruptcy at the start of this year.

It was on the market for 10 months and if administrators couldn’t find a buyer, the 20-deck vessel would have ben scrapped.

However, last Wednesday Disney Cruise Line confirmed acquisition of the ship, noting it secured the mammoth vessel for “a favourable price”.

While the price tag hasn’t been disclosed, it reportedly costs $2 billion – with a further $340 million needed for completion.

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It is currently located at the former MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, where it will remain until construction is complete under the management of Meyer Werft — the Papenburg-based company that built the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish.

The ship will be renamed with certain features reimagined under the expertise of its “imagineers”.

“The new ship, to be based outside the United States, will feature innovative Disney experiences along with the dazzling entertainment, world-class dining and legendary guest service that set Disney Cruise Line apart,” it read on the Disney Parks website.

“The exterior will be adorned in the iconic, Mickey Mouse-inspired colours of the fleet, complete with signature red funnels.”

The 189,000-tonne ship, originally built to carry 9000 passengers — reportedly making it the world’s largest by passenger capacity — will be reduced to approximately 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.

Its original design features included the first theme park at sea, plans for the longest roller coaster at sea., 350 metres of water slides, an inflatable obstacle course, a surf simulator, a trampoline park and mini karts.

Areas such as a large casino will be also redesigned in keeping with Disney’s family-oriented cruises, according to Maritime Executive .

Meanwhile, the mammoth ship is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be fuelled by green methanol, one of the lowest emission fuels available.

Disney plans for it to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet in 2025.

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The administrator for MV Werften, Christoph Morgen, said the sale is great news for the shipbuilders.

“Several hundred current and previous employees of MV Werften, colleagues from Meyer Group and numerous suppliers will complete the impressive shipbuilding project in Wismar over the next two years so that it can set sail for Disney Cruise Line as a sustainable family cruise vessel in the future,” Mr Morgen said.

Currently, Disney Cruise Line sails to destinations including the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific and, as of next year, Australia and New Zealand .

It’s the nine month cruise that went viral for its length of time at sea, now — passengers are revealing what they really thought of the mammoth voyage.

Raygun has made an unexpected appearance after her Olympic breaking routine went viral, busting out dance moves with an unlikely collaborator.

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Follow our news, recent searches, cruise ship genting dream to start trips from singapore under new resorts world cruises brand, advertisement.

Main pool of Genting Dream. (Photo: RW Cruises)

Vanessa Lim

SINGAPORE: A vessel that used to be operated by Genting Hong Kong-owned Dream Cruises will sail from Jun 15 under a new company called Resorts World Cruises.

The company was set up by Malaysian tycoon Lim Kok Thay, who is chairman and board executive of Genting Group. It was registered on Mar 9, less than two months after Genting Hong Kong filed to wind up the company after failing to secure funding to pay its debts .

Dream Cruises ran three ships - Genting Dream, Explorer Dream and World Dream. Resorts World Cruises has taken over Genting Dream and is currently in negotiations with banks and interested parties to acquire the other two ships.

World Dream, which operated cruises to nowhere from Singapore, stopped taking new bookings after its parent company ran into financial trouble. The ship ceased operations on Mar 2.

Resorts World Cruises said on Wednesday (May 18) that it would offer complimentary cruise credits of “equivalent value” for all paid affected passengers by World Dream’s cruise cancellations in Singapore between Mar 2 and Aug 31 this year as a “gesture of goodwill”.

The credits will be valid from Jun 15 to end-March 2023.

At a news conference on Wednesday, the company said this would only be applicable to affected World Dream customers who have yet to receive any refund from their original booking source.

“From our records, there were 13,000 (affected) customers but we also understand that many of our customers have actually got their refund through credit card companies,” said Mr Michael Goh, president and head of international sales of Resorts World Cruises.

He added that the company does not have a record of how many people have claimed their refunds so far.

What happened to Genting Hong Kong?

On Jan 19, Genting Hong Kong, which owns Dream Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises, announced that it was filing for bankruptcy.

This came after a US$1.7 billion record loss for the company in 2020 and a US$743 million loss in the first half of 2021.

Its wholly owned shipbuilding subsidiary, MV Werften, also filed for insolvency in Germany after it failed to secure funding for the completion of its Global One mega-liner.

Genting Hong Kong, which was at that time 76 per cent owned by tycoon Lim Kok Thay, then filed a petition in Bermuda to wind up the company and appoint provisional liquidators.

The company also said its cash was expected to run out around the end of January and it had no access to further funding.

It added that it had "exhausted all reasonable efforts" to negotiate with its creditors and stakeholders.

NEW COMPANY "NOTHING TO DO" WITH GENTING HONG KONG

Although the new company has taken over the Genting Dream vessel, it maintains that Resorts World Cruises is separate from Genting Hong Kong.

“The provisional liquidator could not revive the (Dream Cruises) brand and so, we worked with the Chinese lessors who are the owners of the ship and decided to restart the cruise under the Resorts World brand,” said Resorts World Cruises’ CEO and executive director Colin Au, who was formerly deputy CEO of Genting Hong Kong.

“This new brand has got nothing to do with Genting Hong Kong, it’s a new cruise brand,” he added.

Mr Lim and Mr Au both resigned as CEO and deputy CEO of Genting Hong Kong respectively in January this year, after the cruise operator filed to wind up the business.

Trading of Genting Hong Kong’s shares has been suspended since Jan 18, and will remain so until further notice. 

“Genting Hong Kong is under provisional liquidation, and (Mr Lim) is not joining any of the companies under provisional liquidation. This is a new cruise liner that is being set up,” Mr Au reiterated when asked about Mr Lim’s role in the new company.

Mr Lim, who is the executive chairman of Resorts World Cruises, holds shares in the new company, said Mr Au.

“There are many parties who would like to join the company and there are negotiations with them, and so this will be a work in progress in the next couple of weeks,” said Mr Au, adding that this should be finalised “in the next few weeks”.

LAUNCH OF NEW CRUISE IS IN “EVERYBODY’S OBJECTIVE”

When asked about the timing of the launch of the new ship, which will come about six months after Genting Hong Kong filed to wind up its business, Mr Au said it was in “everybody's objective to go back to normal ... as fast as possible" to protect jobs and to help the economy grow.

In response to CNA's queries, a company spokesperson said it has re-employed about 1,700 of its former employees based in Singapore. This comprises 1,600 former crew members from Genting Dream and about 70 former employees from its Singapore office.

In March, The Straits Times reported that at least 60 employees from Genting Hong Kong's Singapore office had been laid off, with no retrenchment benefits.

When asked about the remuneration packages for re-employed staff members, Mr Goh said this would be "based on experience" and did not disclose further details.

Mr Au said the launch of the new cruise will also help to give the Singapore Cruise Centre more revenue.

Noting the strong market appetite for cruises in the region, including Thailand, Malaysia and India, Mr Goh expressed confidence that Resorts World Cruises will be able to meet demand.

Genting Dream will launch several cruises to nowhere departing from Singapore on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. It plans to launch destination cruises to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from Sep 30.

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World Dream Cruise Ship Heading to Auction

• November 29, 2022

How much is a 2017-built megaship worth? The world is about to find out as the World Dream is heading to auction via the Singapore Sheriff following the demise of Genting Cruise Lines earlier this year.

The 3,500-guest Dream Cruises ship will be sold via sealed bids due by 3:00 p.m. Singapore time on Dec. 21, 2022.

The ship is currently in a state of warm lay up and remains in Asia near Singapore.

A surveyor’s report is available for interested bidders here.

The ship is said to come with approx. $1.2 million in fuel, and all bids need to include a deposit of $50,000.

The surveyor’s report said the vessel is in sound serviceable condition.

As for the rest of the Dream Cruises fleet. the Genting Dream remains in service for Resorts World Cruises on a charter deal, while the Explorer Dream also remains out of service and in the hands of creditors.

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$1.1 billion cruise ship Genting Dream makes Singapore its home

The ship by Dream Cruises is the biggest luxury ship that island has ever hosted

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Dream cruises start like this.

The Genting Dream yesterday arrived at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, Asian luxury cruise line Dream Cruises' first home port in South-east Asia, featuring new itineraries to Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The 18-deck, 3,352-passenger liner, which cost €707.2 million (S$1.1 billion) to build, is the biggest luxury ship that Singapore has ever hosted and seeks to boost the Republic's presence as an Asian cruise hub and elevate cruise tourism in the region.

To promote the Genting Dream, the Singapore Tourism Board, Changi Airport Group and Genting Cruise Lines have signed a tripartite partnership worth $28 million.

The partnership will continue till 2020, and is estimated to bring in 600,000 visitors and more than $250 million in tourism receipts.

Mr Kent Zhu, president of Genting Cruise Lines, said at a press conference held on the ship: "With this partnership and our home deployment of Genting Dream in Singapore, we hope to encourage more vacationers from Singapore and internationally to expand their holiday experience in this dynamic city."

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He feels Singapore's strategic position as a popular and well-developed regional travel hub makes it the ideal home port, adding: "With over 1.2 million outbound sea travellers, Singapore is an important market for Genting Cruise Lines."

Mr Zhu said the significant growth in the Asian cruise industry and rising popularity of luxury tourism has propelled Genting Cruise Lines to incorporate luxurious options on the Genting Dream to target high-end travellers.

It boasts more than 35 restaurant and bars, one of the world's largest Asian reflexology spas at sea and 142 suites.

The Genting Dream offers two-, three- and five-night cruise itineraries from this month till March, with ticket prices ranging from $399 to $8,699.

These are some of the highlights of the vessel:

Zouk At Sea

The Genting Dream houses Zouk At Sea, whichis divided into the Zouk Night Club, an indoor dance club, and Zouk Beach Club, an outdoor party deck. In the day, the former functions as a retro American sports bars with billiards, beer pong tables and a four-lane glow-in-the-dark bowling alley. When the sun sets, revellers can head for the deck to enjoy a cocktail and watch a movie under the stars.

The four-storey deck offers a wide selection of sports and recreational activities, such as the Waterslide Park, which features six water slides of varying speeds. Apart from a children's slide, visitors can take the plunge down three storeys in under 10 seconds with five 100m slides.The SportsPlex also has a 32-obstacle rope course, a 7m rock climbing wall and an over-water zip-line.

Bar 360's unique three-storey, 360-degree set-up allows guests to enjoy live performances such as aerial acrobatics from any angle or deck, with bars on each storey. Wine lovers can check out the Penfolds Wine Vault, which has more than 100 types of the oldest and most iconic wines.

Dream Deluxe Suite

The Dream Deluxe Suite is one of the four luxury suites on the Genting Dream. The spacious accommodation comes with a private balcony and binoculars, offering a glorious view of the sea, a 24-hour butler concierge service, a private pool and gym.

Sister ship World Dream 
arrives here

On Tuesday, Dream Cruises' second new ship, the World Dream, arrived at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.

It is the sister ship of the Genting Dream and will double the capacity in the region for the Asian luxury cruise line.

"We are truly excited to debut World Dream in Singapore, a popular and well developed travel hub for the region," said Mr Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises.

Fresh from her handover ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany, on Oct 26, the World Dream had sailed through Gibraltar, Egypt and Sri Lanka.

PRIVATE BALCONIES

With more than 70 per cent of staterooms featuring private balconies and connecting rooms catered to extended families and groups, passengers can enjoy spacious comfort on the ship.

It will also have suites with exclusive privileges such as butlers and private pools.

New restaurant concepts and entertainment options will offer a variety of leisure activities, and passengers can indulge in a Western or Asian spa operated by the Crystal Life Spa brand.Said Mr Brown: "With World Dream and Genting Dream, Dream Cruises will continue fulfilling our mandate to deliver to guests a transformational journey at sea and redefine the meaning of inspirational travel."  - ANG TIAN TIAN

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Ang Tian Tian

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My children are spoilt, over-privileged, under-grateful b-----ds. (Don’t worry, they won’t be reading this, as it’s in a newspaper instead of on YouTube or WhatsApp or MoronBox or whatever the latest one is called.)

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Genting Dream making comeback on June 15 under tycoon Lim Kok Thay’s new cruise brand

SINGAPORE - A new cruise line owned by Malaysian tycoon Lim Kok Thay will set sail from its home port Singapore on June 15.

Resorts World Cruises will deploy Genting Dream, a ship once operated by the troubled Genting Hong Kong-owned Dream Cruises, and there are plans to increase the fleet.

The Straits Times broke an exclusive report last month that Resorts World Cruises, a company related to Mr Lim, registered in Singapore on March 9 and is owned by Two Trees Family Holdings. 

Speculation had been rife in recent months over whether this could be a new cruise business, as the move came shortly after the collapse of Genting Hong Kong, the cruise industry’s highest-profile casualty since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

Bookings are now open with Genting Dream undertaking cruises to nowhere from June 15, with plans to launch destination trips to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia from Sept 30.

In conjunction with the launch, Resorts World Cruises will offer complimentary cruise credits of the equivalent value for all paid passengers affected by World Dream’s cruise cancellations in Singapore between March 2 and Aug 31 this year.

This is applicable to those who have not received refunds from their original booking source, the company said. For further enquiries, please e-mail  [email protected] .

“For example, if they paid $1,000, we will give them $1,000 of cruise credit, and they can come on board and cruise between June 15 and March 2023. We are giving them a long period of time to decide when they want to come back,” said Mr Michael Goh, president and head of international sales of Resorts World Cruises.

Around 13,000 customers were affected but many have received their refund through their credit card companies, he added.

Mr Colin Au, chief executive of Resorts World Cruises, told a briefing on Wednesday (May 18): “The company will aspire to have many more ships in other parts of Asia. It is a reaffirmation that cruising is good for the region and will be a growth industry.” 

He also noted that all cruise payments made will be kept in a separate account that will be drawn down only prior to the cruise commencing.

In response to ST’s queries, he said: “The practice of all cruise companies is to use the cash for working capital purposes.

“But we have changed the practice to make sure whatever funds are paid will be kept in cash, and if the cruise itinerary is not performed, then the money will be refunded to customers.”

The new firm is recruiting about 1,600 employees for its new cruise line, and has rehired 70 of around 100 former staff from the sales and marketing and retail operations of Genting Hong Kong, noted Mr Goh, the former president of Dream Cruises and head of international sales for Genting Cruise Lines.

The rehires include some of the 57 retrenched employees from two companies related to Genting Hong Kong, who had been claiming unpaid notice pay and other compensation via Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management.

Mr Goh told the briefing that planning for the new cruise business began in February.

Dream Cruises began winding up proceedings in January after its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, ran aground financially.

In March, Dream Cruises stopped operating its vessel, World Dream, in Singapore, leaving thousands of customers in the lurch and demanding refunds. A creditors meeting will be held in Hong Kong on May 20.

Resorts World Cruises, whose parent company is Two Trees Family, is a brand of Resorts World, which has 46 properties worldwide with more than 30,000 employees.

Two Trees, an investment holding company incorporated in Singapore on March 19, 2021, listed Mr Lim and his son Lim Keong Hui, along with Mr Gerard Lim Ewe Keng as directors.

Resorts World Cruises is in negotiations to acquire Explorer Dream and World Dream, two other ships that used to be run by Dream Cruises, as well as other liners. 

When asked how the new business is being funded, Mr Au said: “We are looking for investors”. 

Mr Lim Kok Thay, who is providing most of the funding for the new cruise business, and Mr Au both resigned as chief executive and deputy CEO of Genting Hong Kong respectively  in January.

Resorts World Cruises executive chairman Lim Kok Thay said in a statement: “We started our cruise operations 30 years ago in Singapore and we are excited to again launch the first Resorts World Cruises in Singapore, the first country to reopen cruising in the region. 

“Resorts World Cruises will have its headquarters in Singapore and is committed to making Singapore the leading cruise hub in Asia”

Mr Lim Kok Thay is also the chairman and board executive of Genting Malaysia and Genting, also known as Genting Group, which owns Resorts World Sentosa among other ventures.

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Divorcee who sold everything for three-year 'dream world cruise' kicked off ship after private WhatsApp messages leak

18 September 2024, 09:40 | Updated: 18 September 2024, 20:05

By Danielle de Wolfe

A woman who sold her worldly possessions to embark on a three-year "dream world cruise" has been kicked off the ship after her private WhatsApp messages were leaked.

Listen to this article

Jenny Phenix, 68, from Florida, was booted off the round-the-world trip after it was claimed her chat messages affected "community morale".

The divorced mother-of-two's plans to embark on the £265,000 voyage across Europe, Asia and the Americas, have been scuppered after being given the boot - despite ongoing delays, altered routes and changing itineraries.

Major delays had already left the trip in jeopardy, with Ms Phenix pinning her hopes on the new residential ship scheme after another round-the-world cruise company – Life At Sea – filed for bankruptcy in July, owing her $30,000 (£23,000).

The new trip she purchased aboard the recently renamed Villa Vie Odyssey, is due to visit 425 destinations in 147 countries.

“During the past year and a half I have liquidated businesses and possessions, eagerly awaiting my new life cruising the world," the mother-of-two told The Telegraph.

However, following Ms Phenix's messages, she was contacted weeks before the ship was due to sail over comments that had "significantly impacted the morale" of fellow passengers.

"The frustration among the residents grew after every delay," Ms Phenix said following the delays.

"I tended to be one of the most outspoken in asking important questions," she revealed in an interview with The Telegraph.

"Many of the residents thanked me privately for speaking up for the entire group."

This week, Villa Vie Residences informed those hoping to board the vessel, which is still due to depart, that it would no longer pay the $500,000 (£382,000) monthly cost of covering hotel bills.

It labelled the expense “unsustainable”.

After the WhatsApp messages emerged, it's reported the company's Chief Operating Officer, Kathy Villalba, told Ms Phenix: "We have received over a dozen formal complaints from residents regarding your continuous complaints and negativity.

"This behaviour has significantly impacted the morale and well-being of other passengers.

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"Given the overwhelming feedback, we must cancel your contract permanently to uphold the well-being and satisfaction of our community," she wrote.

The response is said to have stunned Ms Phenix, who was planning to use the boat's stop off in Miami to collect the rest of her possessions.

However, in another blow months after booking, it was revealed the ship would no longer be docking in the Miami port -a popular stop among cruise-goers.

"I was never rude or disrespectful and I never participated in personal attacks," Ms Phenix insisted of the WhatsApp messages.

"These were private conversations - I posted nothing on social media platforms."

She added that she was not the only one upset as the maiden voyage kept getting pushed back.

Holly Hennessy, 67, also from Florida, who is travelling with her cat Captain had previously told the new outlet of issues with the cruise.

"It hasn't felt like summer. It has been winter as far as I'm concerned. I'm used to the Florida sunshine.

"I had to go out and buy vitamin D tablets," she previously told the Telegraph.

The mother was forced to join the tail leg of another world cruise – Royal Caribbean’s nine-month voyage on Serenade of the Seas - in a bid to return home to Florida.

She said: “I cannot even begin to explain the emotional devastation and the physical toll this has taken on me. It was weeks before I could talk about the situation and could even explain it to my children.

"It is still very hard for me to discuss, as I had the same dream everyone else on that ship does, and they took that from me seemingly without a thought.

“I will have to stay with my daughter until I figure out a whole new plan for my life.”

In a statement, Mike Petterson, the chief executive of Villa Vie Residences, said “Ms Phenix broke multiple terms and conditions and signed a non-disclosure agreement. The founding residents voted and agreed to uphold her suspension and we plan on respecting that decision. We have nothing else to comment on the ongoing dispute.

It comes as Life at Sea Cruises' three-year cruise, described as a “journey of a lifetime", was cancelled last November - just weeks before it was due to depart.

Like Ms Phenix, many passengers had sold their homes ahead of the voyage, with the ship due to depart Istanbul on November 30 after the company reportedly failed to buy a ship.

An earlier version of this story referred to Ms Phenix’s cruise being purchased from Fred Olsen cruises. This is not the case. We apologise for the error.

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Disney Dream

Cruise line Disney Cruise Line

• Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida)
• Southampton (England)

Disney Dream current position

Disney Dream current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 48.38477 N / -4.45232 W) cruising en route to Brest. The AIS position was reported 2 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Disney Dream

Disney Dream current cruise is 13 days, one-way from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale . The itinerary starts on 20 Oct, 2024 and ends on 02 Nov, 2024 .

Specifications of Disney Dream

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Disney Dream Itineraries

Disney dream review, review of disney dream.

The 2010-built MS Disney Dream cruise ship is Walt Disney 's third (Dream-class) liner with sistership Disney Fantasy (2012).

The vessel (IMO number 9434254) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 311042900) and registered in Nassau .

History - construction and ownership

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) and an exclusive Cruise Terminal at Port Canaveral (Orlando Florida) . 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.

The 4000-passenger ship Disney Dream is among industry's best cruise liners for families with small kids (younger than 8). MS Disney Dream is almost 50% larger, 2-deck taller and with 44% bigger passenger capacity in comparison to the older fleet mates Magic and Wonder . The ship design is inspired by traditional 1920s ocean liners. The vessel features a navy blue hull, 2 bright red funnels, elegant Art Deco decorations and some of the most innovative technologies and fun ideas at sea, including:

• 22 pieces of "Enchanted Art" adorning the walls of hallways - paintings and pictures that are actually framed LCD screens with a technology to recognize guests present and proceeding with one of several animations;
• wave phones in every stateroom (used to call or text other guests) and effectively replacing the old onboard beeper system (now the counselors' messages come directly to the parents' phones);
• the Magical Portholes on the walls of all Disney Dream Inside cabins (LED screens showing a real-time view of the ship).

The CLIENTELE consists almost entirely of North American travelers (the USA and Canada). The new Disney Lines approach to teens and young couples (by age-related activities and limited access onboard venues) adds a really strong appeal for multi-generational cruisers.

The DRESS CODE is similar to that of the Disney luxury resorts - day casual and evening resort casual (men - jackets (no ties) and pants, women - summer dresses). All Disney Dream sailings include one pirate and one semi-formal night. On 3-day Disney Dream cruises, one night is casual, 4-day sailings are with 2 casual evenings and on 5-day voyages 3 nights are casual.

Disney Dream TIPS (totaling the US $12 PP per day) are given to waiters (including the assistant waiters) and to cabin attendants. Additionally, a 15% gratuity on all drinks is automatically charged to guests' shipboard accounts.

Decks and Cabins

Most Disney Dream staterooms (1250 total, in 28 grades) are 205-255-ft2 Balconies. The ship has 21 Suites, 887 Balcony, 199 Oceanview and 150 Inside cabins. The largest accommodations are the Concierge Royal Suites (900 ft2 / 84 m2 plus 885 ft2 / 82 m2 terrace).

Disney Dream ship cabins are very well planned and equipped. Like on all Disney ships, Disney Dream staterooms are some of the industry's largest standard cabins, most of them designed to easily accommodate four passengers. Some of the best Disney cabins features are the ample closet space, the normal-sized living space and the split bathrooms (1 room with shower-bathtub-sink and a separate toilet and sink).

Beds on Dream are raised to allow storing 2 medium-sized suitcases underneath, staterooms also got 2 vanities, a 22-inches smart HDTV, an iPod docking station and 2 rechargeable "Wave Phones" to be used ship-wide. The Disney Dream Inside cabin has a most innovative feature (and the industry's first, for that matter) - the Magical Portholes, which are LCD screens (above the beds) in the shape of portholes, projecting a real-time view outside the ship (provided by cameras). Veranda cabins feature 2 chairs and a small table on the balcony. The Disney Dream suites. Concierge Suites and Concierge Family Cabins (Deck 11-12) are new for the line, offering direct access to the ship's concierge facilities (1 small lounge, a private sun deck area with chairs, free food and drinks).

Most 1-bedroom suites are with connecting doors (1 queen bed a sitting area with a double convertible sofa, 1 pull-down bed in the living rooms, a walk-in closet, 2 bathrooms (one with a hot-tub). The largest Disney Dream stateroom, the Royal Suite, adds to all previously mentioned a living room, a wet bar, a kitchenette, media library and a Jacuzzi on the balcony.

The boat has 14 decks , of which 9 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The Disney Dream three themed main restaurants are called "Animator's Palate", "Enchanted Garden" and "Royal Palace". There are 2 adults-only specialty restaurants - "Remy" (named after the "Ratatouille" movie star, French cuisine) and "Palo" (Italian cuisine) as alternative dining options. The line's Rotational Dining system allows you to rotate to each of the three main restaurants each night while your servers follow you. The Animator's Palate has screens showing animated Disney characters and themes from "Finding Nemo" movie. The Enchanted Garden is a Versailles-inspired room, featuring lighting effects, transforming day into night. The Royal Palace is princesses-themed with numerous portraits of "Cinderella" and the "Sleeping Beauty" movie characters (even the bread baskets are shaped as Cinderella's coach). The food quality is very good, the service staff is amicable and timely.

The Remy specialty restaurant is a classy place to be on any special occasion, offering a marvelous French menu and charging serious prices - a service fee of $75 PP (reservations are required, along with the formal dress code), drinks and wine are additional. The Palo restaurant is an Italian (Mediterranean) eatery with $20 cover PP (serves dinner and on selected days - Champagne brunch). Superb fish and seafood entrees, a cold buffet (meats, cheese, shrimp, salads and desserts) and several hot made-to-order items. The "Cabanas" casual dining complex on Deck 11 has several food and drink stations for hot and cold buffet items (including made-to-order omelets and sandwiches). The "Flo's Cafe" offers burgers, chicken fingers, wraps, pizza, salads.

Follows the complete list of Disney Dream restaurants and food bars.

• Enchanted Garden Restaurant (696-seat forward Dining Room, inspired by the gardens of Versailles; serves as a buffet for breakfast and lunch, full service for dinner 5:45-8:15 p.m.)
• Royal Palace Restaurant (696-seat forward Dining Room, offers complimentary French cuisine; specialty coffees and drinks are extra)
• Animator's Palate Restaurant (696- seat aft Dining Room, animator's studio design, features favorite Disney-character dinner shows; serves complimentary drinks; Rotational Dining with two fixed Dinner seatings - at 5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.)
• Flo's Cafe (quick service restaurant with 3 food stations: "Fillmore's Favorites" (lite lunch, complimentary), "Tow Mater's Grill" (burgers bar, complimentary) and "Luigi"s Pizza")
• Cabanas (self-service complimentary restaurant with American cuisine, pasta, sushi)
• Remy (reservations-only, adults-only French specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner; aft location, bookings via the Internet or onboard)
• Palo (144-seat Italian specialty restaurant; adults-only, reservation-only; aft location; bookings via the Internet or on board).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Disney Dream kids cruise fun clubs are the main reason for the line's high loyalty passengers ratio. Besides all the Disney characters and most innovative technologies and fun attractions on ships, the Disney children counselors are a pretty big reason many families to repeat their visits. Always smiling and friendly, they are hugely experienced, all college educated, attentive and downright. The Oceaneer's "Club" and "Lab" facilities (ages 3-10) are connected, thus doubling the fun space. The "Oceaneer's Club" features the "Andy's Room" (with oversized Disney characters for kids to climb on) and the "Laugh Floor" (with its "laugh-o-meter" and Mike and Sully of "Monsters Inc"). The "Oceaneer's Lab" is maritime-themed, featuring an Animator's Studio and a small Sound Studio. The new Disney approach allows all kids ages 3-10 to access the same clubs with separate rooms and age-related activities.

The ship's children club is called "Edge" (ages 11-13) properly secluded on Deck 13 in the funnel. The best attractions here are the 18 ft (5,5 m) tall LCD wall, the video karaoke, and numerous interconnected PCs. The teen-only "Vibe" club (ages 14-17) is of 9,000 sq. foot (836 m2), with a fountain bar and its own sun deck and pools.

The list with adults-only entertainment venues includes a dozen different lounges and bars (cocktail places), like the "Pink's Champagne Bar", the "687" sports bar, the "Evolution" nightclub, the top-deck "Meridien" wine bar (between Palo and Remy). Public spaces are decorated in deep blue and red, with numerous "Mickeys" just about everywhere (cabin, artwork, dinnerware, railings). One of the ship's most memorable places is the 3-deck high Atrium lobby with its golden hue, the wide royalty-style winding staircase, and the Donald Duck bronze statue. The Dream Atrium is a hub area connecting restaurants, theaters, and shops. You may check emails in the Internet cafe, but there's also Wi-Fi coverage throughout the ship. Like all Disney ships, Dream has no casino.

• Fun activities on board

All Disney stage shows feature intricate sets and Disney-themed captivating performances, and the big place for grand entertainment is the Disney Theater with goldies like the "Golden Mickeys" and "Villains Tonight", new amazing stage productions, like the "Disney's Believe" (directed by Gordon Greenberg) and all the best Disney movies in 3D. The themed Disney characters onboard have always been the greatest sensation of all, and there are countless opportunities to meet and greet Mickey and company around the ship - in contrast to Disneyland, here they all are accessible and will always stop for a hug and a photo with you. Another big success is the "Pirates in the Caribbean" kids party divided into two programs - the sing-along called "Mickey's Pirates in the Caribbean" followed by the "Club Pirate" (with many special effects) and great Disney fireworks between the shows.

• SPA and FITNESS, pools, waterslide, technology

The "Senses" Spa & Salon offers all the usual treatments (haircuts, manicures) and more exotic choices (hot-stone massages, mud baths). The "Chill" is a teen-only Spa within the facility. The Fitness Center along with the usual equipment offers at additional fee Yoga and Pilates classes. The Sports Deck has a small sports court, a mini-golf course, Ping-Pong tables, a walking/jogging track.

The pool deck has a large area for family fun water activities, featuring 2 hot tubs and 2 kids pools - "Donald's" (5 ft deep) and "Mickey's" (with a spiral slide). A big attraction here is the big LED screen mounted on the funnel. There's a toddler splash area (Nemo themed) located in the center on Deck 11 with huge glass panes for parents to monitor their kids.

The AquaDuck waterslide - the ever first water-coaster at sea is located atop the ship, featuring a 765 ft (233 m) long 4-decks high transparent tube, reaching the incredible 150 ft (46 m) above the ocean (there's a 42-inch (107 cm) height requirement). The "Nemo's Reef" is a small kids waterpark. And while speaking of water and pools - the adults-only "Quiet Cove" pool area is a great place to hide from all the little angels and devils around the ship.

Follows the complete list of Disney Dream lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Walt Disney Dream Theatre (1340-seat, offers live shows, aerial acrobatics performances, grand-style productions, 3D movies; with two evening shows - at 6:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.)
• Dream's Atrium (3-deck high central ship area, featuring marble-carpet flooring, grand staircase, and panoramic glass elevators)
• Mickey's Mainsail (Disney brand logo shop for postcards, souvenirs, DVDs, toys, clothes, games)
• Sea Treasures (duty-free crystal, brand jewelry, watches, precious stones, Disney merchandise, underwear, sport, and swimming apparel)
• Whitecaps (duty-free brand jewelry, perfumes, liquor, and tobaccos)
• Bon Voyage Bar (adults-only, serving wine, beer, and cocktails)
• Buena Vista Theatre (399-seat 4D cinema, features 3D movies, Dolby Surround 7.1 and Dolby 3D movie technology)
• Preludes Bar (quick wait-service snacks & beverages bar)
• Shutters PhotoShop (photo packages, accessories, photographic services)
• Vista Cafe (atrium bar for specialty coffees and teas, dinner cocktails, complimentary snacks, and pastries; Wi-Fi spot)
• D Lounge Bar & Nightclub; Evolution Disco & Nightclub; Vista Gallery
• The District (adults only area including the District Lounge, Evolution night club, Pink Champagne Bar, 687 Sports Bar, Skyline Bar)
• Pink (adults-only champagne bar; chocolate and alcohol tasting classes)
• Skyline Lounge (adults only cocktails bar, with glass walls and 7 LED screens)
• Vibe Disco & Club Lounge (teens only)
• It's A Small World Nursery (for 3 months to 3 yo infants and toddlers; reservations required)
• Dream's Oceaneer Club (kids 3-12 yo; with four play areas with themes from Disney films); Dream's Oceaneer Lab (play area for kids 3-12 yo)
• Senses Spa & Fitness Complex (with 17 treatment rooms; 1 Whirlpool; "Rainforest Room"; "Relax Room"; Fitness Centre /health and wellbeing seminars; Beauty Salon)
• Luxurious Spa Villas (two private suites with own hot tub, private verandah, Roman bed with canopy, open-air shower)
• Quiet Cove Pool (adults only pool, served by Cove Bar; with 2 Whirlpools)
• Chill Spa (teens only spa with separate relaxation area and treatment rooms)
• Cove Cafe (adult-only, with big TV screen; Wi-Fi spot)
• Eye Scream Treats Bar (complimentary ice cream, poolside)
• Frozone Treats (iced fruit smoothies bar, poolside)
• Whozits & Whatzits (pool shop for AquaDuck related stuff)
• Donald's Pool; Mickey's Pool
• Nemo's Reef (waterplay kids zone; features characters meetings and greetings)
• Arr-cade (kids/teens video games arcade)
• Waves Bar (family poolside bar)
• Outdoor LED movie screen (24x14 ft)
• Meridian Lounge & Bar (adults-only venue for dinner cocktails)
• Currents Bar (outdoor bar for cold drinks, refreshments, cocktails)
• Edge Lounge (11-14 yo teens-only club area, with a giant video wall, interactive games, Internet)
• Goofy's Sports Deck (Walking Track, Jogging Track, 9-hole Mini Golf Course, Virtual sport games simulators, combined sports court, Ping Pong/Foosball tables)
• Radio Studio (live radio programs for Disney Dream itinerary-related news and onboard events)
• Outlook Bar (retreat area with a piano and full bar; hosts weddings receptions).

Itineraries

Between 2011-2022, Disney Dream's itinerary program was based on short-breaks (3-night and 4-night) roundtrips to The Bahamas departing from Port Canaveral/Orlando Florida . Call port destinations included Castaway Cay (DCL's private Bahamian island) and Nassau .

The ship's last voyage from Port Canaveral was on June 3, 2022 (3-day to Castaway Cay), while the last departure from Port Canaveral was on June 6st, leaving for the new homeport Miami . The first voyage from PortMiami departed on June 7th (4-day maiden voyage). Out of Miami, Disney Dream offers two itineraries: 4-day "Bahamian Cruise" (Nassau and Castaway Cay) and 5-day "Western Caribbean Cruise" ( Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay). Select 7-day Western Caribbean voyages visit Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman, Falmouth Jamaica).

In Port Canaveral, Disney Dream was replaced by the new Disney Wish , starting on July 22, 2022.

In 2023, Disney Dream will be homeported (for the first time) in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale (Florida USA) . The new homeporting (beginning November 2023) follows the European deployment (Mediterranean from Barcelona and Civitavecchia-Rome, and UK-Baltic from Southampton). The new 4- and 5-night itineraries visit ports in The Bahamas (Castaway Cay, Nassau) and Western Caribbean (Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman).

Photos of Disney Dream

Disney Dream ship related cruise news

DCL-Disney Cruise Line's ship Disney Dream enters drydock at Damen Shiprepair Brest (France)

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DCL's ship Disney Dream scheduled for a major drydock refurbishment in 2024-Q3

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DCL-Disney Cruise Line brings back Marvel Day at Sea on Disney Dream ship in 2025

DCL-Disney Cruise Line has announced the return of Marvel Day at Sea aboard the Disney Dream in 2025. Departing from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades...

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Germany's Port Kiel records busiest cruise season ever

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Other Disney Cruise Line cruise ships

• Disney Adventure
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Disney Dream Wiki

The Walt Disney ship Dream is company's third liner, with sistership Disney Fantasy . Each vessel is 40% larger in size than the oldest Disney ships ( Magic and Wonder ). While its capacity (at double occupancy) is 2500, the Dream-y ship of Disney can accommodate up to 4000 passengers at full/max occupancy (all berths).

The vessel (Mayer Neptun yard/hull number 687) is powered by MAN B&W marine diesel engines (3x 12-cyl, 2x 14-cyl) plus diesel generators (3x 14,4 MW, 2x 16,8 MW) with total power output 76,8 MW. The propulsion system is electric (based on two converteam propulsion motors) with total power output 26 MW, plus two FPPs (5-blade Fixed-Pitch Propellers/inward-turning).

The vessel was ordered on February 22, 2007. The design was announced on Oct 29, 2009. Vessel's construction started with the keel-laying ceremony on August 19, 2009. The exterior (hull and superstructure) was completed on June 1, 2010. The ship was launched (floated out from drydock) on October 30, 2010, and paid in full by the shipowner Walt Disney Company on December 8, 2010. Liner's first cruise/maiden voyage was on January 26, 2011. The Bahamian itinerary from homeport Canaveral-Orlando (Florida) visited Nassau and Castaway Island .

The Disney ship Dream has company's classic "ocean liner" design inspired by the 1920s-30s' passenger ships. The hull is painted in navy blue, both funnels are in bright red. The Art Deco-styled Atrium Lobby looks jazzy and elegant, with a huge glass chandelier and the bronze statue of Donald Duck - standing right in front of the marble stairway. Walt Disney's most famous character - Mickey Mouse - can be seen everywhere - in staterooms, artworks, on dinnerware, on railings. The swimming pools are small, but the AquaDuck has the craziest waterslide at sea, with a transparent tube spinning over the ocean. The ship provides numerous regularly scheduled activities for families, kids, teens and adults, and plenty of dining and entertainment options.

On November 6, 2017, on MS Disney Dream was the premiere of the "Beauty and the Beast" musical developed as an exclusive evening production show.

Disney Dream refurbishments review

The ship's last drydock refurbishment was in 2024 (September 16-October 19) at Damen Shiprepair Yard in  Brest France . The project included major upgrades and enhancements. Among the new features is Donald's Cantina (Mexican restaurant on Deck 11), the Dream Tower Suite (installed within the forward funnel, and themed on the Walt Disney's film Fantasia/1940), a new Concierge Lounge (themed on the Disney film Hercules/1997), a refreshed Lobby/check-in area, wellness complex (adding treatment rooms for massages), renovation and updates to youth areas.

The Edge (teen club) was moved from Deck 13 to Deck 5 and new amenities were added (an outdoor sundeck with a ball pit, recreational games, a dedicated event lounge). The Oceaneer Club (kids ages 3-10) was upgraded with a new Marvel-themed attraction. The project also included general maintenance, machinery overhaul/upgrades, hull cleaning/repainting, safety inspections/classification works.

The vessel's previous drydock (for regularly scheduled maintenance works) was in 2020, conducted at Damen Shiprepair Brest.

The ship is scheduled to enter drydock in 2024 (September 16 through October 19) at Damen Brest. The drydocking project will include general maintenance and classification works, safety inspections, hull cleaning/repainting, minor steel works.

Planned refurbishment works include updates to the youth spaces (Oceaneer kids club, Edge teen club, exclusive outdoor areas), renovations to the wellness complex (including new treatment rooms), new dining options (Mexican cantina restaurant), adding the Concierge Lounge (Hercules animation-themed/1997 release).

Like on Disney Wish, on Disney Dream will be added the unique two-level Dream Tower Suite. The "funnel suite" is Fantasia animation-themed (1940 release) duplex accommodation inside the smokestack.

Youth facility refits and refurbishments will be conducted at the Edge Club (access to an exclusive sundeck fitted with a ball pit and outdoor games, new club lounge for parties) and at the Oceaneer Club (including a new Marvel-themed attraction).

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He bought a cruise ship on Craigslist and spent over $1 million restoring it. Then his dream sank

Buying a historic cruise ship he found on Craigslist back in 2008 was undoubtedly a life-altering decision for Chris Willson.

The technology entrepreneur from Utah spent around 15 years painstakingly restoring the 293-foot vessel, which contains 85 cabins, a swimming pool and a theater, and even moved on board with his long-term partner Jin Li.

Willson says he poured his life savings into the passion project, and his extraordinary story was picked up by CNN and subsequently many other international publications.

Ship of dreams

His ultimate goal was to transform the neglected ship into a museum, but things didn’t quite go to plan.

In October 2023, Willson made the painful decision to sell the vessel, which began sinking around seven months later. Now its future looks bleak.

“We absolutely loved our time with that ship,” Willson tells CNN Travel. “It (selling) was probably the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.

“It haunts me and I lose sleep over it. I’m not happy about it.”

So where did it all go wrong?

Willson’s longstanding connection to the retired “pocket” cruise ship, built in Germany, began when he came across a sale listing on the Craigslist classified advertisements website and decided to investigate.

Feeling inspired, Willson decided to purchase his own slice of history. He won’t disclose how much he spent, but says he was able to “work out a really good deal with the owner.”

After doing some digging, he discovered that the vessel, originally named Wappen von Hamburg, was constructed by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in 1955 and had been the first significant passenger liner built by Germany after World War II.

Once he took the ship on, Willson arranged for it to be moved to the California river city of Rio Vista, where it stayed for a year, and renamed it the Aurora after spending his first night on board.

“I woke up to one of the most brilliant sunrises I had ever seen,” Willson told CNN back in 2022.

“It was forming an Aurora type effect with the clouds and water. I remember thinking at that time ‘Aurora’ was a fitting name.”

Willson was later offered a berth in San Francisco’s Pier 38, an arrangement that came to an end after around three years.

In 2012, he had the ship transferred back to the California Delta, California’s largest estuary, mooring the Aurora at Herman & Helen’s Marina in Little Potato Slough, located around 24 kilometers from the city of Stockton in California’s Central Valley.

“We wanted it in fresh water and we wanted it in shallow water,” he explains. “So it was absolutely the best possible location that we could have put it.”

Herman & Helen’s Marina closed down a few years later, but the ship remained at the site.

Although he had no prior experience working on ships, Willson dedicated himself to breathing new life into the Aurora, devoting countless hours to renovating it, with the help of volunteers.

“I’d gotten quite a ways,” he says. “I think we had 10 areas solidly restored and refurnished meticulously. These were kind of major areas. So we were pretty proud of that.

“So we were doing a pretty good job. We had marine engineers involved. (There was) no lack of people coming out to loan a hand.”

Costly project

“We were working on the swimming pool and the forward decks, and replating all of the steel.

Aside from a few small donations, Willson says he funded the bulk of the renovation work himself.

Although he’s unsure of the exact amount he spent on maintaining the ship and “moving it forward” over the years, he estimates the figure to be well over $1 million.

“We were making terrific progress with the Aurora,” he says. “We had a successful YouTube channel. Everything was looking great.”

However, Willson says he faced much resistance from locals, who weren’t thrilled about having such a huge decommissioned ship moored nearby.

The fact that another large vessel, Canadian MineSweeper HMCS Chaleur, which was moored in the same area, sank in 2021 certainly didn’t help matters.

According to Willson, he received a “three-day notice to quit” on “several occasions,” but local authorities never “followed through with an eviction.”

He goes on to explain that things came to a head when 1940s military tugboat Mazapeta, stationed next to the Aurora, also sank in January, creating a “pollution issue.”

“Everything kind of changed from that point on,” he says, explaining that various local agencies became involved, and it became clear that “there was really no future for the Aurora” at that location.

Although Willson did consider moving the ship, he says he learned that the waterway would’ve likely needed a “million dollars worth of dredging for us to get out.”

“So we were kind of stuck there,” he adds.

While they were desperate to finish what they started, Li says that the situation began to take a huge toll, and the couple felt that they had no other option but to “move on to the next chapter.”

“Maybe Aurora wasn’t in the right place,” she reflects. “Maybe if Aurora was in a different state, or a different country it would have been different.”

When an interested buyer showed up who seemed equally as passionate about saving the ship, they decided to sell it.

Willson stresses that he had every confidence that the unnamed individual was the right person to keep the Aurora going, and spent time talking them through how to maintain the ship.

Over the years, he’d received furniture from other historic ships for the Aurora, which he left on board, along with various pieces of artwork.

When asked about the general condition of the ship at the time, Willson says that while “there were some holes” when he first purchased it, they were “patched professionally” and he never had “any problems” afterwards.

Sinking feeling

However, in May, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced that the Aurora was sinking.

“It has been determined the ship has suffered a hole and is taking on water and is currently leaking diesel fuel and oil into the Delta Waterway,” reads a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on May 22.

The ship was refloated by contractors hired by a Unified Command, according to the US Coast Guard, which confirmed that it had “recently changed ownership. ”

“Over the last several weeks, response contractors, Global Diving and Salvage and subcontractors, successfully refloated the vessel and removed an estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard bins of debris was removed from the vessel,” said a statement shared by California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response on June 28.

“There were no observations of oiled wildlife throughout the response.”

The City of Stockton has since taken over the operation.

According to Connie Cochran, community relations officer for the City of Stockton, there was “was no clear ownership” for the Aurora when the situation occurred and the city is currently “figuring out how to dispose of the vessel.”

“We’re hoping to be getting it out of there in the coming weeks,” Cochran told CNN, pointing out that the size of the ship, along with its location, in an area that isn’t actually within the city limits, has made things even more difficult.

Cochran says the next stage will be determining whether the ship, which she described as a “public hazard” and “danger to the environment,” is “structurally stable” enough for a “dead ship tow” to a location where it can be salvaged.

Although Cochran was unable to provide an estimate of the costs for the ongoing operation, which has seen contractors with specialist knowledge brought in, she says the city is hoping to “recoup” some of it.

Willson, who maintains that he filed the change of ownership for the Aurora with the Coast Guard Vessel documentation center, says he was surprised when he learned that the ship had partially sunk.

“I didn’t see it sinking,” he says. “We had it for 15 years, and we had no problem with it.”

CNN has been unable to independently confirm the current registered owner of the ship.

“I meticulously maintained that ship,” adds Willson. “I checked everything on it multiple times every day. We were on it all of the time… It just saddens me like nothing else.”

Willson has faced heavy criticism for seemingly abandoning the Aurora, with local residents expressing concern about the costs to the City of Stockton.

He admits that he’s found some of the commentary “tough,” but hasn’t given up on the ship, and plans to do everything he can to help the buyer he handed it over to reclaim it, with the aim of preventing it from being scrapped.

“I don’t really want to let it go,” he adds. “But it’s no longer my vessel.”

Willson looks back on his time with the ship fondly, recounting how he discovered its original name after removing “six or seven coats of paint” from the vessel when he first began working on it.

He later learned that the 2,496 gross ton ship had been the inspiration for popular TV series “The Love Boat,” as well as a serving as f ilming location for the Spectre criminal organization headquarters in the 1963 Bond movie “From Russia with Love.”

The vessel served as a cruise ship for around two years, says Willson, going through several different owners, as well as names, before it was moored in Vancouver.

It was towed to Alameda, California in 2005 after even more changes in both ownership and name. The ship was set to be turned into a luxury yacht at one stage, but this never came to fruition.

It subsequently remained at Alameda for several years, before being purchased by a businessman, who went on to list the ship on Craigslist.

Historic ship

Willson says the ship was in bad condition and “slowly succumbing to the encroaching water” before he spotted that advertisement in 2008.

“Nobody knew what the history of the vessel was,” he says. “And over time, we exposed so much of its history.

“We turned it from just a big ship floating out on the Delta that was rusting away, to probably one of the most famous vintage cruise ships in the world.

“And I’ve got to be proud of that.”

Willson says it pains him to see so many historic ships being scrapped, and he remains hopeful that things will turn out differently for the Aurora, even if he has to watch it play out from a distance.

“There’s only three historic liners left in the United States, and another one of them is about to see its fate as well,” he says, referring to retired ocean liner SS United States, which has been ordered to leave Philadelphia’s Delaware River.

“So then there’s only going to be the Queen Mary (a retired ocean liner moored at Long Beach that’s now a popular tourist attraction) that’s left.

“So it is very sad to see such famous ships eventually just dismantled, especially for no good reason.”

Willson received a huge amount of support from well wishers while he was restoring the ship, with some even traveling to the site in California to see it.

He also built a huge community, with other 12,000 followers on the Aurora Restoration Project’s Facebook page , and more than 80,000 subscribers to the YouTube channel for the project.

“It was such a well known vessel,” he says. “And it had everybody’s hearts.

“To this day, it keeps me awake at night time thinking about it. Thinking, ‘What can I do in order to help the situation out?’

“And at the same time, I don’t want to, you know, step over my bounds.”

Willson and Li, who have since left California, are currently searching for a new project, stressing that they’re looking for something on land, possibly an old church or mansion, this time around.

“We haven’t found the right one,” Willson says, adding that they’ve “almost landed a deal a couple of times.”

Learning experience

Although things definitely haven’t turned out the way he’d hoped, Willson has absolutely no regrets about buying the ship, and says he would do it all over again if he had the choice.

In fact, he describes his memories with the ship and the “efforts poured into her preservation” as some of the best of his life.

“I’ve never had a single regret about saving something like that,” adds Willson, who says he hasn’t visited the Aurora since the beginning of the year. “Was it a success?

“Keeping it on this Earth for an extra 15 years when it would have probably sank and then (been) scrapped out…

“I don’t have any regrets on what I’ve done. It’s been a great learning experience and showed a lot of people my abilities.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Li is also positive about the future of the Aurora despite the precariousness of its current position, pointing to the countless setbacks the ships has faced in the many years since it was built.

“Aurora is a fighter,” says Li. “I mean, she always fights. There’s so many times she changed hands. Got abandoned. Got almost scrapped.

“But she still is floating today. I told Chris, ‘Maybe it’s a sad story for us. We couldn’t move Aurora more forward.

“But at least Aurora is fighting her own fight. She doesn’t want to get scrapped… Wappen von Hamburg doesn’t want to die.’”

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

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Kamala harris ripped for latest word salad: ‘let’s come together with the character that we are so proud of about who we are’.

Vice President Kamala Harris is being ridiculed over her latest word salads — with many suggesting she even left celebrity supporter Oprah Winfrey looking confused and “lost.”

The Democrat’s presidential candidate repeatedly rambled during her star-studded, two-hour virtual rally with Winfrey late Thursday, with the TV host at times prodding her to give straight answers to questions.

She then ended with a two-minute monologue that confused many people listening — including Winfrey, according to online commentators who said the powerful media mogul looked “lost” and “unimpressed.”

“We love our country. I love our country. I know we all do, that’s why everybody’s here right now. We love our country. We– we take pride in the privilege of being American and this is a moment where [pause] we can and must come together as Americans, understanding we have so much more in common than what separates us,” Harris said with pauses and smiles.

“Let’s come together with the character that we are so proud of about who we are,” she said.

“We believe in what is possible, we believe in what can be, and we believe in fighting for that,” she said, using her favored, much-maligned “what can be” phrase while pushing for the “freedom to just be.”

“Hmm,” replied Winfrey with a poker face.

Harris concluded, “And that’s who we are; we believe in all that, and so this is a moment where we stand knowing what we are fighting for. We’re not fighting against, it’s what we’re fighting for.”

KAMALA WORD SALAD ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zakdvCDv4T — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 20, 2024

Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt shared a clip of the monologue, sarcastically comparing her to “Bill & Ted” by saying that “Kamala’s Excellent Adventure continues.”

“An epic word salad,” he wrote.

“The media truly should be ashamed of itself at this point. She’s running for President of the United States of America and all we get are scripted comments or Non-sequiturs with Oprah.”

“Oh my… it’s really worse than I thought!” one of his followers wrote, while another said: “My IQ just dropped 40 points watching that.”

The two-hour “Unite for America” livestream event from Michigan was meant to highlight the grassroots organizers that are backing Harris and give voters an opportunity to ask her about her platform — but the Democratic presidential nominee didn’t offer any new policy proposals.

When a viewer asked Harris what her plan is “to help lower the cost of living,” she replied: “Yours is a story I hear around the country as I travel. In terms of both rightly having the right to have aspirations and dreams and ambitions for your family and working hard and finding that the American dream is, for this generation and so many recently, far more elusive than it’s been.”

“And we need to deal with that,” she said, only offering the possibility of “bringing down the cost of everyday necessities, including groceries,” which have risen during her administration under President Biden.

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