Genting Cruise Line held a keel-laying ceremony for the second Global Class ship for Dream Cruises last week at MV Werften in Rostock, Germany.
The midship section of the Global Class ship was produced in Rostock and 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 coincided with the starting of the design and build of the next series of ship, revealed as the Universal Class. The first of the Universal Class ships will be delivered at the end of 2022, said Tan Sri KT Lim.
The Universal Class ships are designed, built and operated with ‘Complete Freedom’ – making cruising more like a land holiday.
At 88,000 gross tons in size and accommodating 2,000 guests, the 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 until the end of the decade.
“The major hospitality brands are uncompromising in protecting their brand image and the Universal Class ships are perfect as they carry the most trusted and respected ‘Made in Germany’ label. They are designed with the highest safety and environmental standards, including LNG propulsion, says Peter Fetten, President and CEO of MV WERFTEN. “We will be an experienced yard by then, having delivered two 208,000-gross-ton Global Class ships, the largest to be built in German,y and the Universal Class ships will keep MV WERFTEN with a full orderbook till 2024.”
Lead image: MV Werften Universal Class ships
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