From setting record to no voyage: World’s biggest ship goes to yard

CHENNAI: The unnamed cruise vessel of nearly record proportions that has been under construction at MV Werften shipyard in Warnemunde in Germany will be scrapped before even sailing a single voyage as the liquidators of the bankrupt shipyard can’t find a buyer.

This week’s anBord, cruise industry magazine reported that the bankruptcy administrators plan to 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 were designed to hold more than 9,000 passengers, making them the world’s largest cruise ships by passenger capacity.

The sister ship, named Global Dream, which is further along in construction, 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, for which no buyers have come up yet.

Both of the cruises, specifically designed for Asian travellers, were on order for Asia-based Dream Cruises, which collapsed along with its parent company Genting Hong Kong earlier this year after its revenues crashed due to COVID-19 pandemic-followed shutdowns.

Among notable features, the two ships were to have the largest cinemas at sea with eight theatres and the first theme parks atop a cruise ship with the longest roller coasters at sea. Till date, there’s only one cruise with a roller coaster on its deck – Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras, says anBord.