When Genting Hong Kong had to file for liquidation in January, the future of its cruise lines was unknown. Now one of its lines, Dream Cruises, is set to resume sailing under the newly-formed Resort Worlds Cruises.
On May 18 at a press event in Singapore, the brand was officially launched, and it will be led by Malaysian businessman Tan Sri KT Lim.
“We started our cruise operations 30 years ago in Singapore and we are excited to again launch the first Resorts World Cruises in Singapore,” said the executive chairman. “Resorts World Cruises will have its headquarters in Singapore and is committed to making Singapore the leading cruise hub in Asia. We also appreciate the support and trust of the Chinese leasing banks in allowing Resorts World Cruises to charter the Genting Dream.”
Previously, Lim was the owner and executive chairman of Genting Hong Kong and Dream Cruises. When the company’s shipyard operation in Germany, MV Werften went bankrupt and the company financially collapsed, they had appealed to keep Dream Cruises in operation with talks that they might try to buy the brand and its ships during the liquidation.
However the restart of the cruise line was unsuccessful, so the management team came up with a deal with the Chinese banks that owns one of the Dream Cruises ships to restart operations under a new brand.
The goal of the new cruise brand is to make it a leading brand in the Asian market as an extension of the Resorts World Brand. Resorts World, which is also owned by Lim, runs 46 casino resorts in eight countries.
The Genting Dream, which will keep its name despite the rebranding, will sail again on June 15 out of Marina Bay in Singapore. With its return to sailing, it will make Resorts World Cruises be one of two major cruise lines to resume Singapore-based cruises ; the other being Royal Caribbean.
