Disney Cruise Line takes over unfinished newbuild

Previously known as the Global Dream, the ship will be renamed, reimagined and ready to set sail in 2025.

The new 208,000gt ship will be based outside the US and is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be fuelled by green methanol.

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, Genting, filed for bankruptcy before completing the vessel, enabling Disney Cruise Line to secure it at a favourable price.

Earlier this year, Meyer Turku began work on a methanol-ready cruise ship for Germany’s TUI Cruises. The 111,500gt Mein Schiff 7 is due to enter service in 2024.

In October, MAN Energy Solutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings on a project to retrofit a medium-speed MAN 48/60 engine to make it capable of dual-fuel diesel/methanol operation.