In what could be a move to enter the quickly expanding Asian travel industry, Disney Cruise Line will soon be the owner of one of the largest cruise ships in the world.
Late on Wednesday, Disney, the world's largest travel company, revealed it was purchasing a sizable, unfinished ship that had previously been under construction for Dream Cruises, a company located in Asia.
The ship's construction was put on hold earlier this year when Dream Cruises, along with sibling companies Star Cruises and Crystal Cruises, filed for bankruptcy. The vessel was to be named Global Dream.
Asia-based Genting Hong Kong, which owned the three cruise lines, went out of business.
The ship was being built with specific venues intended to appeal to Asian families, and Disney stated it will cooperate with Germany's Meyer Werft shipyard to complete it.
In a news release, the cruise line stated that the ship would take Disney's brand of cruise holidays to "new worldwide destinations," without specifying where it would be deployed.
The vessel, which will have a new name, will also have a foreign base of operations, according to the statement.
Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, made the announcement. "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," he said.
Global Dream, which was intended to be 208,000 tonnes, would be the seventh-largest cruise ship in the world if it made its debut today.
However, it was being constructed to have 9,000 passengers, a record.
There were several accommodations on the ship that could accommodate families of four, which allowed for the high passenger population.
Disney implied that the ship's cabin layouts would change when it announced that it would only hold 6,000 guests.
The ship's size and anticipated passenger capacity are significantly greater than what is customary for a Disney cruise.
The five ships in the line are between 83,969 and 144,000 tonnes in weight.
They can accommodate no more than 4,000 people.
The Global Dream's large one-and-a-half-deck casino was one of the ship's attractions that had been specially created for the Asian market.
Disney's five ships have never before had casinos on board.
Disney's Imagineers, who work with Meyer Werft to create features with a Disney theme, were claimed to collaborate on the announcement.
The ship will include "new Disney experiences coupled with the spectacular entertainment, world-class dining, and legendary guest service that set Disney Cruise Line unique," the line claimed.
Aside from that, Disney stated that the ship's exterior would be painted in the fleet's recognizable Mickey Mouse-inspired colors, replete with the red funnels that have come to symbolize the company.
In a somewhat uncommon decision, Disney decided to buy a ship that was initially intended for another cruise line but was only partially completed.
From the beginning of the planning phase, the company prefers to maintain complete control over the design and construction of both its land-based and maritime resorts.
In spite of this, Disney Cruise Line is growing.
For delivery in 2024 and 2025, the company has already placed an order for two more new boats.
The ships will be the Disney Wish's sisters, which the line just debuted.
Disney stated that it would take until 2025 for the updated Global Dream to be ready to set sail.
Under Meyer Werft's supervision, the ship will be finished at the MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, where it was first being built.
Of Disney's five current ships, Meyer Werft constructed three of them.
More information on the ship's destinations and activities on board would be revealed later, according to the line.
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