ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney Cruise Line is setting up shop in Southeast Asia with a new cruise ship set to debut in 2025. The line announced along with the Singapore Tourism Board that it will begin sailing from that port beginning in 2025 for at least five years with a new ship. “Disney Cruise Line is currently undergoing an ambitious expansion with new ships and new destinations around the world,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “We are incredibly excited to make Singapore the home port to our seventh-launched ship, which will sail from here year-round starting in 2025.” The ship in question will be the unfinished Global Dream currently under construction in Germany which DCL acquired this year. The 208,000-gross-ton ship was being built for Genting Hong Kong, which ran Dream Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises as well as the Lloyd Werft and MV Werften shipyards. That holding group, though, filed for bankruptcy in January, and a court ordered the sale of its assets including the Global Dream. The line already has two other ships in its Trident class coming before 2025 as well, but those are bound for the North American market following the Disney Wish that debuted in Port Canaveral last summer. The next is named Disney Treasure and due in 2024, although where its initial homeport will be has yet to be announced. The unnamed Singapore-bound ship will be the largest in the DCL fleet. What was originally targeted to serve the Chinese market, the Global Dream would have had the capacity for about 9,000 passengers. Global Dream, though, will get renamed with new plans for a maximum capacity of about 6,000 guests along with 2,300 crew members. The line said it will get a classic Disney look and feel. Details about its maiden voyage, itineraries and what exactly is coming on board will be revealed at a later date, the cruise line stated. “The new Disney cruise ship will be an attraction itself and is expected to boost the tourism sector in Singapore for many years to come,” said Keith Tan, the CEO for the Singapore Tourism Board. Construction will continue at the MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, which is now run by Meyer Werft, the shipyard company that built DCL’s last three vessels — Disney Wish, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream. Of note, the ship will run on green methanol, which would make it one of the first in the cruise industry to use the low-emission fuel for the vessel. In an effort to stem environmental emissions, cruise lines have been switching from traditional diesel on new ships including the use of liquefied natural gas, which is what powers Disney Wish. Construction of the Global Dream began in 2018 and original plans called for it to have the longest roller coaster at sea, but what exactly will be on board for Disney Cruise Line has yet to be determined beyond that it will “feature innovative Disney experiences.” By the end of 2025, the fleet will have grown to eight ships with the first two, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, having debuted in the late 1990s. Disney cited Singapore’s strategic location with access to airports and port infrastructure behind the move that will let the ship also access the Australian market. Southeast Asia features more than 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. “I think it will do well honestly knowing how much the Asian market devours Disney,” said Alanna Zingano, who runs the website Travel the World A to Z with an expertise in family cruising. source : https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/world_news/disney-cruise-line-to-send-new-ship-to-singapore/article_45ace261-2d33-5a85-b141-4f9b3c60a8c7.html

Seatrade Cruise Global, the world's largest cruise trade show and conference, will return to Miami Beach April 8-11, 2024. The four-day conference and three-day trade show, which just wrapped Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, historically has attracted more than 10,000 attendees, including high-level cruise line executives, thought leaders and innovators from all facets of the cruise industry. Expanded F&B@Sea Next year’s conference will also feature an expanded F&B@Sea event, following its debut this week. The interactive addition to the show highlights the importance of cruising's food and beverage area. 'We are absolutely thrilled to once again host Seatrade Cruise Global,” said Freddie Peterson, general manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Rickelle Williams, assistant city manager, added: 'Seatrade is extremely important for the city of Miami Beach. It's important for our economy; attendees support our local businesses, our hotels and restaurants. It's a vibrant part of the overall economy so we’re excited to have Seatrade back.' Cruise capital of the world 'Miami has long been synonymous with Seatrade Cruise Global and a great host for the largest annual cruise industry gathering, along with being a vital partner as the cruise capital of the world,' said Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association. 'We look forward to reuniting in Miami in 2024.' Seatrade Cruise Global, first held in New York in 1985 and 1986, has been hosted in Miami during 32 years, at venues including the InterContinental Hotel, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Convention Center. The event moved to Fort Lauderdale when the Miami Beach Convention Center was closed for renovations and in 2023 when the show dates overlapped with the Formula 1 Grand Prix, noted Andrew Williams, EVP Informa Markets, the owner of Seatrade. 'We thank Broward County/Fort Lauderdale for hosting us in those years and look forward to being back in Miami and at the Miami Beach Convention Center again in 2024,' he said. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/seatrade-cruise-global-returns-miami-april-8-11-2024

The cruise industry is back in South Korea as the port of Sokcho welcomed the Amadea from Phoenix Reisen on March 13. According to a statement, this is the first international cruise ship to call in a South Korea port since the pandemic started in 2020. The ship is next set to sail to Busan and then Jeju before calls in Japan and the Philippines. The ship is currently on a world cruise that started in France at the end of 2023, first sailing to the Caribbean and then through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific and to French Polynesia before continuing though Asia. The cruise ends in Villefranche on May 22. source : https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/03/first-cruise-ship-arrives-in-south-korea-since-2020/

The Westerdam is marking Holland America Line’s return to Japan today after a three-year gap. Following a short season in Southeast Asia, the 1,900-guest vessel arrived in Yokohama to kick off a spring program in the country. Sailing roundtrip from the port – which is located near Japan’s capital city, Tokyo – the Westerdam is set to offer a series of 11- to 14-day cruises to different ports including Kobe/Osaka, Tokushima, Kagoshima and Shimizu. For its first cruise in the region since early 2020, the ship is offering a 14-night itinerary named “Japan Explorer.” The voyage features visits to a total of ten ports in the region, such as Hiroshima, Kochi and Sakaiminato. Through April, the program also includes visits to Ishigaki, Naha and other destinations in Japan, as well as ports of call in Taiwan and South Korea. After completing its Asia schedule, the ship offers a 14-day North Pacific Crossing to Seattle – its homeport for the upcoming summer season in Alaska. Part of Holland America’s four-ship Vista Class, the Westerdam first entered service in 2004. Extensively refurbished over the years, the 82,000-ton ship underwent a drydock in January 2023 for routine maintenance and class work. Offering a premium cruise product, the vessel was designed with an array of dining, entertainment and bar venues that include the Exploration’s Café – a lounge that provides travel resources and enrichment opportunities for guests. Other features comprise the Billboard Onboard, where two pianists perform shows centered around facts and figures of the music industry, and the Lincoln Center Stage, which showcases a nightly ensemble of musicians performing chamber music. The ship also offers an extensive dining lineup that includes Holland America Line’s signature venues, such as the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse and the Italian Canaletto Restaurant. source : https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/03/holland-americas-westerdam-returns-to-japan-for-spring-season/