Guest of honor Chee Hong Tat
Among the nearly 500 guests representing government, travel agents and business partners, notable attendees included guest of honor Chee Hong Tat, senior minister of state for trade and industry and education. The Genting delegation was led by Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman and CEO, and Colin Au, group president.
Founded a quarter of a century ago as Star Cruises, Genting Cruise Lines has been key to establishing ASEAN as an important cruise region and introducing innovative ships designed for the more relaxed Asian cruise market.
6.5m passengers on 7,500 calls in Singapore
Over 25 years, the company has carried more than 6.5m passengers during more than 7,500 ship calls in Singapore. In the last 12 months, Genting Dream, the only ship on a year-round deployment in the city, welcomed about 400,000 cruisers. Sixty percent of those were tourists, not local residents, helping Singapore become the port with the greatest number of international cruise passengers in Asia. With the majority of passengers flying to Singapore to embark, the city has benefited in terms of airlines, airport, hotels and shops since visitors normally stay before or after their cruise.
'Genting Cruise Lines is honored to have played a part in the evolution of Singapore to become one of the leading cruise hubs in Asia and we remain committed to the future growth of the city and the ASEAN region to become one of the most important and vibrant cruise regions in the world,' Lim said.
Joint marketing
The cruise business is one of the key pillars of Singapore’s tourism strategy, Chee Hong Tat said. In the area of marketing and promotion, the Singapore Tourism Board, Changi Airport Group and Genting Cruise Lines embarked on a S$28m collaboration in 2017 to promote Genting Dream’s Singapore sailings. The three-year partnership, he added, is expected to bring in 600,000 overseas visitors and more than S$250m in tourism receipts.
With the completion of Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore and China's policy of promoting cruising, Genting Cruise Lines ordered two 150,000gt ships for delivery in 2016 and 2017 to create Dream Cruises, catering to Asia's growing premium segment. Genting Dream and World Dream also have an all-inclusive luxury enclave, The Palace, with 140 suites and private amenities including a swimming pool, restaurants, gym and other facilities. Passengers in The Palace get butler service and refined Asian dining with an included menu of herbal soups, seafood, bird nest and other delicacies, along with Western luxury items like caviar and wine.
The acquisition of Crystal Cruises in 2015 also helped Genting Hong Kong capitalize on the growing demand for luxury cruising. Significant investment by Genting has driven a brand expansion including expedition yachts, river vessels and Crystal Luxury Air.
First Contemporary-class ship for Star in 2023
Genting Cruise Lines acquired shipyards in Germany, where MV Werften is building for its three brands. Endeavor-class expedition ships of 19,800gt will be delivered in 2020 and 2021, the first in a series of 200,000gt Global-class ships for Dream Cruises in 2021, a first 67,000gt Diamond-class ship for Crystal Cruises in 2022 and the first Contemporary-class ship for Star Cruises in 2023.
Genting earlier announced it would build a new series for Star but had not indicated a delivery date until now.
Accommodating up to 9,500 passengers, Dream Cruises’ Global class will be the world's largest cruise ships by passenger capacity and will consist of mainly large, family-friendly cabins with two bathrooms, bringing affordable cruising to mainstream travelers while also retaining The Palace luxury enclave, with 150 suites.
Details on Crystal's Diamond-class ship and the Contemporary-class vessel for Star are awaited.
'The last 25 years have passed quickly and we are looking forward to our next 25 years to provide our cruise option to the 150 million Asian tourists who travel all over the world,' Lim said. 'By the end of the next quarter century, we will have the most modern fleet in the world for our three cruise brands, offering the most variety of itineraries and destinations, providing best-in-class service and, most important of all, maintaining our uncompromising safety culture developed over the past 25 years.'
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