The arrival of what will be the largest ship in the world, Dream Cruises Global Dream in 2021, will herald in a new era for cruising in Asia.
The 10,000 passenger ship (at maximum capacity), will be taking Asians around the world. And by homeporting these ships in exotic destinations like the Baltic or Alaska, Dream Cruises’ President Michael Goh said that they intent to attack Asia’s fly-cruise market.
Mr Goh said that the Global Dream will be sailing around exotic destinations, but will have all the amenities, dining options as well as accommodation offerings which are designed for the Asian market. They want cruisers to feel right at home while they are on grand voyages.
“Though we are sailing in these faraway destinations, we want to target Asians and share Asian food, heritage and culture with Americans and Europeans,” he said.
“The same goes for putting a cruise ship in Australia − we’re not just targeting Australians but hope to bring Asian fly-cruisers to the country.”
With Global Dream housing some of the largest cabins at sea, Mr Goh also mentioned how cabins can comfortably hold four people. The smart design allows for efficient use of the bathrooms as well, allowing two people to use them at the same time with maximum privacy.
Besides families, Dream Cruises hopes to reach out to the younger generation. “The average age of cruisers is only 37 in India and 39 in Indonesia,” observed Mr Goh. “As such, it’s important to cater to millennials.”
Nevertheless, Mr Goh stressed that although Global Dream’s products are catered to younger cruisers, grandparents and the elderly will enjoy themselves too.
“We will be having various programmes that appeal to the older generation, such as operas, celebrity concerts, wellness events, exercises like Tai Chi and investment talks,” he said.
Finally, Mr Goh delved into the nine districts the ship will be divided into and some of its revolutionary features, which include:
Dream Park at the Pier: The first theme park at sea will be geared towards both kids and adults. The water park also features 6 water slides and a whirlpool.
Eight sets of escalators: Global Dream will be the first cruise ship in the world to have escalators on board. This allows for convenient transport as guests don’t have to wait for lifts. “Escalators are not usually found in ship blueprints, but we’ve managed to include them as Dream Cruises owns the shipyard,” said Mr Goh.
The Lido Dining: Dining options will include a large variety of Asian and international cuisine. “Asians do not only want to consume Asian food, but desire an international environment which the Lido provides,” said Mr Goh. “We also cater to special food requests for vegetarian and halal consumers. Our halal food is prepared with the strictest standards and we undergo a full process of certification.”
Lido on the Park: An Alfresco dining option, with the newest technology to ensure a comfortable temperature for guests out in the open.
Cha Chaan Teng: A Hong Kong- style eatery with 15 different choices of noodle dishes and Hong Kong milk tea.
Zodiac theatre and Picturehouse: The Zodiac theatre will house 1,200 people, and the Picturehouse will be the largest cinema at sea (with 8 separate theatres convertible for meetings and events).
Horizon Lounge: Featuring 270 degree views overlooking the ocean, with window panels that can be converted to screen audio visual entertainment.
Dream Avenue: A multi-purpose outdoor avenue that will contain a zipline in the centre of the ship.
Zouk Beach Club: Singapore’s homegrown and internationally renowned nightlife brand Zouk, the 3rd best club in the world, will also have a presence on Global Dream.
