Wonder of the Seas is something like 238,000 tons. How big was this ship supposed to be? I don’t see it in the article.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/...ruise-ship-scrapped/

From record-setter to rubbish: World’s biggest cruise ship to be scrapped without sailing a single voyage

Call it the giant of the seas that never was.

An unnamed cruise vessel of nearly record proportions that has been under construction in Germany for an Asia-focused cruise line will be scrapped before sailing a single voyage, according to German shipping magazine anBord.

This week anBord reported that the liquidators for the bankrupt MV Werften shipyard in Warnemunde, Germany, will sell the bulk of the half-finished ship for scrap and attempt to resell some of its systems and engines.

The vessel, often referred to as Global Dream 2, and a sister ship that had also been under construction at the MV Werften shipyard were designed to hold more than 9,000 passengers, making them the world’s largest cruise ships by passenger capacity.

At 208,000 tons each, the vessels would have been tied for the world’s sixth-largest cruise ships by size when complete, just behind Royal Caribbean’s five groundbreaking Oasis-class ships.

Both of the ships were on order for Asia-based Dream Cruises, which collapsed along with its parent company Genting Hong Kong earlier this year after its revenues plummeted due to COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns.

The MV Werften shipyard was also part of Genting Hong Kong, as was Asia-based line Star Cruises and luxury line Crystal Cruises. Like Dream Cruises, the latter two lines are being liquidated

The sister ship to Global Dream 2, which is further along in construction and named Global Dream, is not being scrapped for now. The liquidators for the MV Werften shipyard have been trying to sell the vessel, which is about 80% finished.

Both of the vessels were specifically designed for Asian travelers.

Among notable features, the two ships were to have the largest cinemas at sea with eight theaters apiece and the first theme parks atop a cruise ship with the longest roller coasters at sea. As of now, just one ship — Carnival Cruise Line‘s Mardi Gras — has a roller coaster on its top deck.

"The vessel, often referred to as Global Dream 2, and a sister ship that had also been under construction at the MV Werften shipyard were designed to hold more than 9,000 passengers, making them the world’s largest cruise ships by passenger capacity."

208,000 tons, so 30,000 tons smaller, but will have 3,000 more passengers. I can see why nobody wants it.

We are going to Half Moon Cay and Nassau in September. I'm hoping the covid silliness is gone by then.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG4EVA:
We are going to Half Moon Cay and Nassau in September. I'm hoping the covid silliness is gone by then.

Have fun! We'll be booking our next cruise as soon as the vaccine requirement goes away.

Those ships were designed for the Asian market, not nice enough for the West

Just took one in May to Cozumel and Costa Maya, not much covid stupid going on

Have one booked for Spain and Portugal next year

The Global Dream ships were for the China market. A pax load of 9,000 was packing them in like sardines and IIRC, the 9,000 figure was significantly more than simply double occupancy per cabin.

Asians love cruises, at least from my experience on our Alaska Cruise out of Vancouver.

After we landed coming in from a SLC connection, 300 or so US citizens entered the then empty customs portal, soon after several China Air planes landed, and thousands of Chinese descended on Customs, it was instantly packed.

A few days later when we went to board the ship to Alaska it was the same, 50/50 Asians to non Asians. Everyone was courteous and things went well, still, it was clearly Asian sailing season

Crazy stuff, and this was pre-covid but by midway on the cruise several people were getting ill, some strange virus was running through the ship, couple of people in our small group got it, kind of flu like. Perhaps a precursor or foretelling of the future...

I see a cruise ship go by my house just about every day. On the weekends half a dozen or more. Sunday is a big day with boats arriving at four and five in the morning and then leaving again at sunset.

Can’t speak to the profitability of it all, but it seems to be pretty robust around here.

All the cruise ships are headed to Alaska and back.

Looking at this thread is interesting. A little more than two years ago, lots of people were predicting that the cruise business would die.

It is awfully hard to predict the future, isn't it?

I go to Kailua Kona Hawaii (a fishing town) every year and I noticed last year that the amount of cruise ships stopping there was down a bit.

I just looked at Carnival Cruise Line's financials. They're the biggest operator in the industry. They're losing money hand over fist. They may still be operating, but for how long? This is especially true with fuel prices through the roof.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Looking at this thread is interesting. A little more than two years ago, lots of people were predicting that the cruise business would die.

It is awfully hard to predict the future, isn't it?

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
I just looked at Carnival Cruise Line's financials. They're the biggest operator in the industry. They're losing money hand over fist. They may still be operating, but for how long? This is especially true with fuel prices through the roof.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Looking at this thread is interesting. A little more than two years ago, lots of people were predicting that the cruise business would die.

It is awfully hard to predict the future, isn't it?

Of course there may be particular consolidations, failures, and successes. But the point was the prediction of failure of the whole industry. That hasn't happened. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It is very hard to say.

I just looked at one company (albeit the biggest.) Are ANY of them actually making money? How long are the losses sustainable?

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
I just looked at Carnival Cruise Line's financials. They're the biggest operator in the industry. They're losing money hand over fist. They may still be operating, but for how long? This is especially true with fuel prices through the roof.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Looking at this thread is interesting. A little more than two years ago, lots of people were predicting that the cruise business would die.

It is awfully hard to predict the future, isn't it?

Of course there may be particular consolidations, failures, and successes. But the point was the prediction of failure of the whole industry. That hasn't happened. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It is very hard to say.

Are the various cruise lines still requiring proof of covid vaccination to sail?

^^^^^
If they are, then IMHO they are responsible for their own demise. I've never been on a cruise and don't know that I ever will, but requiring a "vaccine" card/status just puts the nail in the coffin for me. If the airlines want to crater the airline industry, just require EVERY passenger to submit a copy of their "vaccine" card before boarding. Yeah...that'll go over like a turd in a punch bowl.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
^^^^^
If they are, then IMHO they are responsible for their own demise. I've never been on a cruise and don't know that I ever will, but requiring a "vaccine" card/status just puts the nail in the coffin for me. If the airlines want to crater the airline industry, just require EVERY passenger to submit a copy of their "vaccine" card before boarding. Yeah...that'll go over like a turd in a punch bowl.

I agree. We've been on one, back around 2017, and we'd consider doing another, but not as long as there is a vaccine mandate requirement.

My understanding is that all cruise lines are still requiring proof of full and current vaccination except for a small number of passengers who will be allowed with proof of medical exemption. The number of unvaccinated are limited to a small percentage, like 5% or less, and they must have some formal doctor signed statement. Refuseniks like me still can't get on unvaccinated.

Many destinations still require vaccination and/or proof of negative test. While several cruise lines no longer require a negative test before boarding, it may still be required along the way. And those who are unvaccinated with a medical exemption likely cannot go ashore in port.

We'd planned on cruising at least once per year but haven't been since the end of February 2020. We won't go until there are no limitations for us.

I hate cruise ships! They freakin’ ruined Key West and pretty much anywhere they pull in. All they do is dump masses of people on ports of call that heretofore had been thought of as kind of “exotic”. It’s on their “bucket list”, that’s all they give a damn about. What a shame.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by stkfox:
I hate cruise ships! They freakin’ ruined Key West and pretty much anywhere they pull in. All they do is dump masses of people on ports of call that heretofore had been thought of as kind of “exotic”. It’s on their “bucket list”, that’s all they give a damn about. What a shame.[/QUOTE

We used to call them "Lobster People". They were sunburned and waddled down the streets to the tee shirt shops.