Disney Cruise Line is making its first move into the Asian cruise market, in a big way.

The giant 208,000-gt Genting Hong Kong newbuilding Global Dream that it bought from the administrators of bankrupt German shipbuilder MV Werften will be based exclusively out of Singapore for at least five years beginning in 2025, the company said in a joint statement with the Singapore Tourism Board.

Disney said Singapore’s strategic location, world-class air connectivity and port infrastructure make it “a thriving cruise hub in South East Asia, a diverse region that is home to over 40 Unesco World Heritage Sites”.

“The addition of a Disney Cruise Line ship in Singapore has the potential to add millions of local and foreign cruise passengers across the five-year period, including fly-cruise passengers who arrive in Singapore by air. It is also expected to bring about significant spillover benefits for the wider economy,” it added.

The ship, whose new Disney name has yet to be announced, will also boost Singapore’s quest to be at the forefront of the new generation of green marine fuels, as it will be among the first in the cruise industry to be fuelled by green methanol.

In an ironic twist, Singapore would have been the Global Dream’s home port if Genting had not gone bust in early 2022.

The ship, which was under construction at Genting-owned MV Werften’s Wismar shipyard, was 90% complete when the curtain came down on the company.

The newbuilding was widely touted as being designed specifically for the Asian cruise market.

Disney has enlisted German cruise ship builder Meyer Werft to complete the ship, a process that will include rebuilding certain features to match the facilities found on Disney’s existing cruise ships.

The “reimagined” ship will be able to accommodate around 6,000 passengers and 2,300 crew.