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A first taste of Dream Cruises' new Genting Dream

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Aboard Genting Dream - from left, Dream Cruises hotel director Marcino Massimiliano, artist Jacky Tsai, Capt. Jukka Silvennoinen, president Thatcther Brown, star chef Mark Best (Photo: Anne Kalosh)
In showing off its first ship under construction at the yard, Dream Cruises did something that may be unprecedented.

The line treated scores of travel agents and media to a six-course, gourmet Chinese luncheon and a full cabaret show with a famous guest star. All this aboard Genting Dream at Meyer Werft while the rest of the ship buzzed with hundreds of workers completing the outfitting.

Silk Road, one of Genting Dream's many restaurants, was an oasis of calm, the tables draped in linen, the hostesses in black velvet jackets, the servers in long red cheongsam. The venue, which also features a cabaret show, opened with the spectacularly feathered and bedazzled Dreamgirls, and continued with an artistic acrobatic duo before a full show by the famous Cantonese singer Frances Yip.

All the while, guests dined on crispy duck with superior caviar pancake, hot and sour soup with lobster, Wagyu beef, grilled Alaska cod fillet with honey and garlic sauce, braised morel mushroom with pumpkin and, for dessert, chilled sweetened avocado cream and mango puree.

The meal and lavish show gave a taste of how Dream Cruises hopes to entice upscale Chinese travelers.

The new ship—with its two submersibles, Dream Mansion suites (some with their own private adjacent gaming rooms) and Zouk Beach Club, where patrons lounge on terraced cushioned seating and dance in a shallow pool under fireworks—is fabulous.

But Dream Cruises president Thatcher Brown told Seatrade Cruise News that when it comes to enticing Chinese travelers, 'Food is the most important thing.'

Even the mahjongg room will serve food and drinks.

So, to give a taste of Genting Dream and one of the 35 restaurants and bars on board, this was no routine hard-hat tour. Agents and media from across Asia were treated to the sumptuous meal and show before beginning their guided tours in small groups, each escorted by a Dream Mansion butler in tails and white gloves.

Another nod to the importance of food was the presence of Australian star chef Mark Best, who will have his first seagoing venue, Bistro, aboard Genting Dream. It's a large space segmented into a show kitchen and Chef's Table, a wine display wall, and indoor banquette and outdoor seating.

Umi Uma, the Japanese restaurant, also spreads across several areas, with a central sushi bar, a wall of colorful sake drums, tables for hot pot cooking and a teppanyaki area with nine grills, each to have its own chef.

'I think it will be one of the most popular areas. It's a food experience,' said butler Michal, one of the dashing tour guides.

Deck 8, a main dining and drinking spot on this large ship, is dotted with choices. Bar City contains Mixt for signature cocktails, the first Johnnie Walker House at Sea with a huge selection of scotch whisky (and events and education plus an adjacent humidor for Cuban cigars), the Wine Vault (to be hosted by a famous Australian winery, to be announced) and Bubbles (for Champagne). In the middle, 360 Bar circles a space that's open to three decks with a stage at the center and a swing for aerial acrobatics.

The Genting Dining Room will be configured for families and has rows of private dining areas along the side, with a bubble tea spot located on deck. Large windows in the Genting Dining Room overlook the Dream Dining Room one level below and all the way aft, reserved for Dream Mansion guests. It has two sweeping staircases, great views and a grand piano.

High up on the ship, the large Lido buffet has numerous food stations, cut-glass screens depicting famous cities and seating for 554 diners. Between the Lido and the outdoor pool, the World Grill provides a casual spot for grilled burgers, steaks and shrimp.

Outside, a large children's area has four waterslides. Many places on Genting Dream cater to families, and the nearby Little Panda Club serves the youngest kids. High on Deck 18 are a ropes course, a zipline that swings over the water, a mini-golf course, rock-climbing wall and more waterslides.

The ship's sports bar has four bowling lanes, with special lighting and sound effects.

As for adult entertainment, the adjacent Zouk—the first seagoing rendition of the famous Singapore nightspot—will have guest star DJs, two bars and the outdoor Zouk Beach Club with its big screen, shallow-pool dance area and terraced seating. A pair of outdoor private party areas are available, too. There will be fireworks once per cruise on sailings of five nights and longer.

Resorts World, a Genting company, will run the large main casino on Decks 6 and 7 and the exclusive Dream Mansion casino along with the private gaming rooms connected to eight of the suites.

Tributes, a lounge for standup comedy, live bands and magic shows, has glass walls that can open to the deck outside.

The 999-seat Zodiac Theatre offers widely spaced rows and good sightlines with only two columns toward the back. Here will play a theatrical version of 'China's Got Talent' and a show based on 'Voyage of a Lover's Dream,' the hull art created for the ship by artist Jacky Tsai, who was on hand today.

One of the Dream Mansion suites was available for viewing. It offers a king-sized bed, a sofa bed, a double vanity, Nespresso machine, walk-in closet, bathroom with large tub and shower and a long balcony.

Throughout, Genting Dream, whose interiors are by SMC Design, has a contemporary look, with rich, deep colors and bold modern art.

Following the ship tour, the agents and media returned to Silk Road for drinks, where the chefs, cooks and wait staff paraded out in their new uniforms.

'We're breathing life into this luxury product through the food and the service,' Dream Cruises chief Brown said.