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Disney Just Bought the World’s 7th-Largest Cruise Ship, the 1,122-Foot ‘Global Dream’

The vessel's original shipbuilder halted construction earlier this year after declaring bankruptcy..

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Disney just bought a ship as big as one of its blockbuster movies.

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No amenities have been announced yet, but the company said the ship will feature “innovative Disney experiences along with the dazzling entertainment, world-class dining and legendary guest service that set Disney Cruise Line apart.” The ship, which will be based outside of the US, will also be one of the first fueled by low-emission green ethanol.

The finished boat will have room for 6,000 passengers and around 2,300 crew members. That would make it smaller than its sister was expected to be— Global Dream II was supposed to have room for 9,000 passengers—but the 208,000-gross-ton boat will still be the world’s seventh largest and the largest in Disney’s fleet. The conglomerate did not reveal how much it paid for the Global Dream , other than to say it was secured at a “favorable price.”

“Our cruise ships give us the unique opportunity to bring Disney magic to fans no matter where they are, and the addition of this ship will make a Disney Cruise Line vacation accessible to more families than ever before,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said in a statement.

Bryan Hood is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. Before joining the magazine, he worked for the New York Post, Artinfo and New York magazine, where he covered everything from celebrity gossip to…

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Disney's biggest cruise ship will carry 9,000 people on cruises in Asia

Would you travel around the world to sail on Disney Cruise Line 's biggest ship yet?

On Wednesday, Disney Cruise Line announced new details about Disney Adventure , which will become the line's biggest vessel when it debuts in Singapore in 2025. At 208,000 tons, Disney Adventure will be about 44% larger than the line's current biggest cruise ship, Disney Wish .

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Disney Adventure will also look a little different from the Disney ships you know and love. The vessel was originally ordered for Asia-based Dream Cruises, which collapsed in early 2022. Disney bought it from liquidators for the brand and plans to debut it in 2025.

As a result, the line must work with a preexisting ship layout, a whole new ballgame for Disney. The company has historically controlled the design and construction process of its resorts, both on land and sea, from ideation to completion. The 208,000-ton ship was originally designed to accommodate a whopping 9,000 passengers, plus thousands of crew members. However, Disney plans to reconfigure it to hold 6,700 guests and 2,500 crew members. Still, that could mean more than 9,000 people on board when the ship sails at full capacity.

Cruisers on Disney Adventure will be sharing the ship with far more people than on the line's previous vessels. The five ships in Disney's fleet range from 83,969 tons to 144,000 tons and hold a maximum of about 4,000 passengers. (Disney's oldest and smallest ship, Disney Magic , can accommodate, at most, 2,500 guests.) Another way to put it into perspective — the world's current largest ship, Royal Caribbean's 250,800-ton Icon of the Seas , holds 7,600 passengers.

Related: The ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line ships and itineraries

Despite the differences in size and layout, Disney Adventure will still immerse passengers in the brand's signature style of lively, magical spaces.

The ship will feature new themed areas that showcase Disney's core pillars of storytelling — imagination, discovery, fantasy and adventure.

An open-air performance venue will feature a lush garden and elements reminiscent of an enchanted valley. Dubbed Disney Imagination Garden, the space will draw on the adventures of Disney characters like Mowgli and Moana.

Shopping and dining opportunities within the ship's Disney Discovery Reef area will feature popular aquatic and nautical characters from movies like "The Little Mermaid," "Finding Nemo" and "Lilo & Stitch."

San Fransokyo Street, a family entertainment area and street market, will offer interactive games and activities, shops and cinemas themed around the world of "Big Hero 6."

The ship's pool area, Wayfinder Bay, will feature an open-air poolside retreat with panoramic sea views amid Pacific Islands-themed environs.

Town Square will be the hub for lounges, cafes, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. Here, passengers can immerse themselves in the world of Disney princesses, such as Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel.

Marvel Landing will host new immersive attractions that celebrate the Marvel superheroes. Passengers can also enjoy watery fun in Toy Story Place, a whimsical interactive space featuring water play areas and themed food venues.

Additionally, guests can expect Disney-level service, engaging dining options and top-notch entertainment, all hallmarks of the brand.

Disney also shared that the ship's exterior will reflect the fleet's iconic Mickey Mouse-inspired colors, complete with the line's signature red funnels.

North Americans will have to travel far to set sail on Disney Adventure. Disney's new ship will sail three- and four-night cruises departing from Singapore's Marina Bay Cruise Centre for at least the next five years in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board. The line has yet to reveal specific details of the itineraries. Short cruises out of Singapore will likely draw an international crowd, with many passengers hailing from Asia.

When Disney Adventure begins service, it will be the seventh ship in the Disney fleet. The line currently operates five ships; a sixth, Disney Treasure , is due to debut in December.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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The dizzying story of Symphony of the Seas, the largest and most ambitious cruise ship ever built

S ymphony of the Seas – which, on its maiden voyage from Barcelona in March 2018 became the largest passenger ship ever built – is about five times the size of the Titanic . At 362 metres long, you could balance it on its stern and its bow would tower over all but two of Europe’s tallest skyscrapers. Owned and operated by Miami-based cruise line Royal Caribbean, it can carry nearly 9,000 people and contains more than 40 restaurants and bars; 23 pools, jacuzzis and water slides; two West End-sized theatres; an ice rink; a surf simulator; two climbing walls; a zip line; a fairground carousel; a mini-golf course; a ten-storey fun slide; laser tag; a spa; a gym; a casino; plus dozens more shopping and entertainment opportunities. To put it another way, Symphony of the Seas might be the most ludicrously entertaining luxury hotel in history. It just also happens to float.

Picture a cruise ship. You’re likely imagining crisped-pink pensioners bent double over shuffleboard, cramped cabins, bad food and norovirus. And, once upon a time, you’d have been right. But in the last decade or so, cruise ships have gone from a means of transport to vast floating cities with skydiving simulators ( Quantum of the Seas ), go-karting ( Norwegian Joy ), bumper cars ( Quantum again) and ice bars ( Norwegian Breakaway ). Restaurants offer menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs. As a result, the cruise industry is experiencing a golden age, boosted by millennials and explosive growth in tourists from China. More than twenty-five million people set sail on a cruise liner in 2017.

“Most people’s idea of a cruise is ‘Oh God, I’m going to be packed in with five thousand people I don’t want to talk to and getting bored out of my tree,” says Tom Wright, founder of WKK Architects, who has worked on cruise ships and land hotels. “In fact, it’s like going to a hotel that just moves magically over night.” (As one cruiser I met on Symphony ’s fan page put it, “We get to see five destinations, and I only have to unpack once.”)

For many, a maiden cruise is rarely the last. From Southampton to Venice to Barbados, ports are full of white-hulled ships packed with repeat customers. Industry satisfaction ratings regularly exceed 94 per cent. And, as Richard Fain is fond of saying: nobody gets those kinds of numbers. Not even chocolate companies.

Fain is chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, a position he has held since 1988. (RCL comprises three lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises.) Now 69, Fain is square-jawed, broad and handsome. More than anyone, he is responsible for the transformation of cruise ships from modes of transport to mega-attractions. ( Symphony is one of his. So are the world’s second-, third- and fourth-largest cruise ships.) A gifted salesman, the first time you meet he’ll lean in, tilt his head just so, and ask you straight: “Have you cruised?”

It was Fain who realised that the cruise industry’s image problem was in fact an opportunity. Convince sceptical land-lovers that cruise ships aren’t outdated, boring and, as an industry joke put it, full of “the newlywed and the nearly dead”, and Royal Caribbean could lock up customers for life. The problem was just one of perception.

To attract a new kind of customer, Fain needed a new kind of ship. To build it, he hired Harri Kulovaara, a Finnish naval architect who made a name for himself designing passenger ferries. Kulovaara has a round, boyish face and glasses with such thick upper frames it has the effect of a monobrow. Growing up in the coastal city of Turku, he would watch the ferries sail out of the harbour for Sweden each morning, and spend every moment he could on the water. After graduating in the late 80s, he designed two groundbreaking ferries for Finnish company Silja Line. They included a 150-metre, two-deck-high promenade down the centre, culminating in a huge window at the aft. The window brought natural light into the centre of the ship – before that, dark, depressing places – and created a natural, street-like hub for passengers.

Fain, who has a keen eye for design himself – his mentors included Jay Pritzker, the Hyatt Hotels co-founder and creator of the Pritzker Architecture Prize – took notice. “When Richard saw [the Kulovaara-designed] Silja Serenade , he said, ‘I’d like to have this kind of ship.’ The [Royal Caribbean] technical department told him it couldn’t be built,” explains Kulovaara. So, in 1995, Fain hired him to help run the company’s shipbuilding department alongside Njål Eide, a Norwegian architect who had become a legend in shipbuilding. (Eide had designed the first hotel-like atrium at sea, now a commonplace feature.) The company was planning to commission a carbon copy of its existing flagship, Sovereign of the Seas . “We’re not going to build that, Harri,” Fain told him. “We need something better.”

That “better” was 1999’s Voyager of the Seas . Costing upwards of $650 million (£469m), it was 75 per cent bigger than the previous-largest cruise ship, exceeding Panamax – the width of the Panama Canal, an industry-standard measurement. They introduced a central promenade, similar to that which Kulovaara had designed for Silja Line, ending in two banks of panoramic lifts. It was on Voyager that Royal Caribbean introduced the first ice rink at sea, and climbing walls on the rear funnel. (Fain initially thought climbing walls were a bad idea. Now they’re an industry standard.)

If you want to pinpoint the moment ship design went crazy, it’s with the launch of Voyager. Suddenly, cruising was in an amenities arms race. “There was a big shakeup,” says Trevor Young, vice president of new building at Royal rival MSC Cruises. “Companies started to treat the cruise liner as a floating resort, rather than as a ship.” Consider: since the launch of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1940, the record for largest passenger ship had changed hands twice. Since Kulovaara joined Royal Caribbean, the record has been broken 11 times. Kulovaara has designed ten of them.

“We don’t set out to build the largest ships,” Kulovaara told me, somewhat sheepishly. “The goal is to build the best ship. But we have so many ideas that we need a little bit more space.”

Cruise-ship architects face constraints that would confound their land-based counterparts. Ships need to be able to face North Atlantic storms, Baltic snow and blistering Caribbean heat in equal measure. The hull is beset on all sides by waves, which cause not only perpetual motion, but vibrations through the steel structure – as do the engines and propellers. A ship at sea is its own island: it must generate its own energy and water, and treat its own waste. There is no fire service nor ambulance, so every crew member is fire trained and the on-board medical centre must be able to handle almost any kind of emergency (including death: all ships have a small morgue, a necessity for a pastime so beloved by the elderly). Some maintain a brig, in case of onboard miscreants – though I’m told their use is rare.

Kulovaara’s New Build department is located in Royal Caribbean’s Innovation Lab, which is based in PortMiami – the largest passenger port – in Biscayne Bay, Florida. The team has around 200 people, including naval architects, interior designers, engineers and project managers. “When I started to get involved we didn’t use CAD,” says Fain. “We used SAD, or ‘scissors-aided design’, because what you did was spread out your drawing on the dining room table and then cut and paste it.” Today, the Innovation Lab includes extensive prototyping and testing facilities, and a large virtual-reality “cave” simulator to allow Kulovaara’s designers and architects to walk around interior spaces throughout the design process.

The essential consideration when designing a cruise ship is flow of human traffic. “They have a relatively high density of population. How can you spread the people and make sure they find their way?” asks Kulovaara. “Understanding how people behave, anticipating how they behave, is key.” With nearly 9,000 people on board including crew, distributing attractions evenly across the ship is crucial. Hence, Symphony ’s two main theatres are at opposite ends. The casino is central, but below the Royal Promenade. (A rule of thumb is that it takes the first two days of a cruise just to get your bearings.)

Perhaps even more important is the movement of the ship’s 2,200 crew, who must be able to access galleys and stores in the bowels of the ship easily. There are safety considerations, too: today’s megaships are split vertically into six or more fire zones, which can be isolated in case of an emergency. Muster stations (usually large public areas) must be evenly spread. Even corridor width is calculated for the necessary flow of passengers in the event of an emergency.

Once the major spaces are sketched out, there’s the onerous task of plumbing. “The big part of building a ship, 85 per cent, is what you don’t see. It’s the air conditioning, the electric systems, the water systems, power generation,” says Kulovaara. Cruise ships are built using concurrent design: while the keel and lower hull are being cut, the top of the ship is still being laid out. “We do the conceptual design and the architectural design,” says Kulovaara. “The naval architects think about hydrodynamics, hydrostatics, hull forms. Then we transfer that to the shipyard and they do the final engineering.”

As the ship is so vast, the detailed design work is commissioned out to multiple architectural firms. Restaurant architects design restaurants; caravan designers tend to be good at state rooms (the industry term for cabins). “We have probably 100 architects who have worked closely with us for a long time,” says Kulovaara. Early in the design process, Royal holds open competitions to design new spaces. “The reason is if you do it in-house, you become blind to change.”

When trying to introduce “anything extraordinary”, Kulovaara assigns a special projects team. With Voyager, New Build had sketched a blank space in midship for a new entertainment venue. The team proposed an indoor arena including a synthetic ice surface, “glice”. Kulovaara assigned the project to Boston-based Wilson Butler Architects. The firm has since worked on several of Royal Caribbean’s wildest schemes, including a viewing platform that extends high above Quantum of the Seas . “We’ve become pretty good at problem solving,” says Butler.

In January 2018, I went to visit Symphony under construction in Saint-Nazaire, France. It was a miserable day: grey mist hung in the air like gauze, but the ship was still visible several kilometres away. The shipyard, STX France, is one of the few equipped to build liners of Symphony ’s scale. The decks are built upside down, in around 80 huge sections – each can weigh upwards of 800 tonnes – and are then robotically welded together like vast LEGO blocks. On the dockside, deck sections of a new MSC Cruises ship lay idle. The legs of an offshore rig stood monolithic, the platform unattached. Symphony was running ahead of schedule.

Kulovaara, Fain and the Royal Caribbean management team were visiting another of their ships, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge , due to sail in November 2018. While they attended meetings, Timo Yrjovuori, the project manager for Symphony ’s build, gave me a tour of the ship. Another Finn, Yrjovuori has light stubble and blond hair hidden under his yellow hard hat. As we boarded Symphony ’s lower decks, the ship was teeming with activity. More than 1,000 workers were undertaking the final outfitting, and the sounds of sawing, welding and industrial vehicles cut through a riot of languages and radio stations.

Symphony is the fourth ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class, which launched in 2009. Oasis of the Seas was another paradigm shift in ship design: 50 per cent larger again, at 225,000 gross tonnes, it was almost double the industry average. Each Oasis-class ship costs more than $1 billion, not including the vast new cruise terminals Royal Caribbean built in Miami to hold them. “The complexity of building ships goes up exponentially” with size, Kulovaara says. (Previously, the largest lifeboats on the market carried 150 people. In designing Oasis , Royal Caribbean also had to develop a new class of 370-person lifeboats. Symphony has 18 of them.)

The Oasis class’s crowning glory is its split superstructure: 18 decks tall, its central section is a progression of Voyager’s promenade design. The aft is divided up the middle by an 11-deck valley, giving it a horseshoe shape. Standing in the centre of the Boardwalk (Oasis ships are split into seven “neighbourhoods”) feels like standing in Manhattan, with mini-skyscrapers on each side. The chasm is bridged by a Sun deck at the top; from there the 11-storey Ultimate Abyss slides curl down to the Boardwalk.

“To split a cruise liner down the middle in this way was a really big departure,” says Tom Wright, who helped in the development of the exterior spaces for the Oasis class ships. “It’s probably the biggest departure ever by the cruise industry.”

Yrjovuori and I toured the ship. Below decks, Symphony of the Seas is like an Amazon warehouse, a cathedral to logistics. The ship’s bowels are split by a two-lane corridor, nicknamed I-95 after the US highway. In the main galleys are bathtub-sized food processors and dishwashers closer in appearance and size to car washes.

Food is stored in bungalow-sized cold rooms. Even here, flow is king: the layout of the room has been meticulously optimised by observing chefs and service staff to maximise output at peak time; because cold food guarantees unhappy passengers, all of Symphony ’s restaurants are designed with a set maximum distance from galley to table.

“The level of hygiene is extreme,” Yrjovuori announced, as we passed a hand-washing station. Though ship-wide outbreaks of sickness make the news at least once a year, the total number of passengers who fall ill is a fraction of one per cent. But close quarters enable outbreaks, so sanitation regulations at sea are stringent. Every part of the ship, from lift buttons to the casino’s chips, are sanitised daily; interior materials have to stand up to the high level of chlorination from the constant cleaning. Rubbish is frozen in vast storage containers to slow bacteria growth and is only removed in port.

In midships above the Royal Promenade lies perhaps Symphony ’s most remarkable feature: Central Park, an open-air garden enclosed by the upper cabins. Its development was another first, and was fraught with challenges. “I suggested it was going to be a grassy field,” says Wright. Fain loved the idea, but a grass park at sea seemed insane: the deck faces salt air, scorching Sun and foot traffic from thousands of passengers almost every day of the year.

“We do a lot of research,” explains Kelly Gonzalez, Royal’s vice president of newbuilding architectural design. Gonzalez, who leads the design of the ships’ public spaces, is Kulovaara’s closest collaborator; the two have worked together for 20 years. “We hired a grass and lawn expert from the University of Florida. We did a machine test, which was a rolling wheel with sneakers on it that would simulate footsteps.”

The results were not encouraging. “The immediate response is always ‘We’ll tweak it,’” says Fain. “We said no, this is not a tweak. This is a design flaw.”

Kulovaara called a charrette – a closed-doors design retreat that Royal has used for problem-solving since Voyager. “We went back to redesign it,” he says. Their solution was a landscaped garden with 12,000 plants and trees. It required extensive engineering, right down to the soil. “It’s a kind of volcanic exploded clay, so it’s not as dense as it would be on a land-based arboretum,” explains Butler, whose firm worked on the engineering. “On land you put in a sprinkler system and the soil gets saturated. We can’t afford that wet weight, so we do underground watering.” Botanists were consulted, as were ports’ various customs agencies for rules on foreign plant species.

Even unfinished, it’s remarkable: an airy urban park, floating on a skyscraper with an open-air café and performance space thrown in, all in the middle of the ocean.

After the park, we toured Symphony ’s accommodation. Its state rooms are pre-fabricated en masse and inserted into the ship like huge Jenga blocks. Yrjovuori’s army of outfitters were busy adding mattresses and other finishing touches.

More than half of Symphony is taken up by state rooms. “We always say the millimetres matter,” says Harold Law, a senior architectural associate who oversees their development. A centimetre saved by using a thinner veneer might, along the length of the ship, mean an extra cabin per deck. Storage is honed with IKEA-like precision (the secret is calculating average luggage size plus a little extra, for souvenirs).

State rooms must be acoustically insulated – to shield occupants from their neighbours, but also vibrations from the engines, nightclubs or an overhead skydiving machine. The bathroom units are subjected to an incline test: a blocked toilet must still drain at 10° of ship tilt without spilling into the room.

The biggest challenge comes when designing the interior rooms. “Traditionally on inside rooms there’s no natural light, so you can lose track of time very quickly,” says Law. (Days at sea distort time – Symphony ’s lifts contain screens reminding passengers what day of the week it is.) On 2014’s Quantum of the Seas , Royal Caribbean introduced Virtual Balconies, floor-to-ceiling screens which show a live camera feed of the outside view. There are four cameras, because during testing, they discovered that a feed facing the wrong direction causes seasickness. “You have the sensation of the motion of the ship; the visual has to match,” Law says.

“We’re constantly using design to alter the perspective of the room environment,” says Gonzalez. Uplighting and mirrors can help ceilings feel taller. The right pattern on a carpet can lengthen or shorten a space, or provide a subliminal help with wayfinding. One problem with such huge ships is the absurdly long corridors, so the architects insert fake arches or obstacles to make them appear shorter. On Quantum , Royal introduced lenticular wall art, which changes whether you’re walking fore or aft.

Celebrity Edge will introduce perhaps the biggest change in state-room design since balconies were introduced in the 80s. “I was watching the cruise ships going out from Miami one day,” explains Xavier Leclercq, Royal’s senior vice president of New Build and innovation. “I counted the passengers on their balconies – only two per cent of people [were] using them.”

Kulovaara’s team commissioned some research and came to a counterintuitive conclusion: offer passengers balconies and they say they want them, but few actually use them. So, on Celebrity Edge , Wright – the ship’s lead architect – and Royal’s New Build team eliminated balconies entirely. Instead they designed what they call the Infinite Veranda: floor-to-ceiling windows, the upper half of which lowers entirely to create an indoor balcony. As a result, Edge ’s entry-level state rooms are 23 per cent larger and bathrooms 20 per cent bigger than the previous standard. “The cruise industry is incredibly conservative,” says Wright. “To change the structure of how it’s always been done – it’s really quite a big deal.”

In November 2017, before my visit to France, I flew to New York to see the future of cruise ship design. Royal Caribbean had rented a space in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard to demonstrate what it calls Project Excalibur. Guests from the travel industry lounged on white leather sofas, ordering drinks via an app. Wi-Fi beacons tracked our locations, and the waiters’ custom-designed trays included a smartphone displaying our picture, so we never had to go to the bar.

The feature will debut on Symphony of the Seas and be rolled out across the entire Royal fleet. On the main stage, huge 4K screens on robotic arms delivered a dance performance (the show, something of a novelty gimmick, is featured on Quantum-class ships), before Fain made his presentation.

Kulovaara watched from the side of the room. New Build were early in the masterplanning phase for Royal’s next class of ship, codenamed Icon, which is planned to debut in 2022. Notably, Icon class, at 200,000 gross tonnes, will be smaller than Oasis. Instead, the focus is on efficiency, an urgent trend in an industry long criticised for cruise ships’ environmental impact, which included burning huge quantities of fuel and, for several decades, dumping of waste water. (Today, black water – the ship’s sewage – is treated on board, and only dumped into the sea when it reaches near drinking-water purity.)

“Energy efficiency is something we have a lot of pride in,” says Kulovaara. They expect Symphony to be, by weight, the most energy-efficient ship at sea (a claim currently held by Harmony ). “We were able to improve the ship’s energy efficiency by 20 per cent with about 100 different initiatives. The hull form was improved, the propellers were improved, the air conditioning controls were improved, the lighting system was improved.” New Royal ships feature hulls that emit tiny bubbles to reduce drag, meaning the ship in effect sails on air.

After Fain’s pitch for Excalibur, we were given a rundown of the attractions Icon might eventually bring. Some, like a shallow VR sushi-eating experience, felt more like gimmicks for the tech press in attendance. But other elements seemed inevitable: check in via facial-recognition, and a Star Trek -like bridge of the future which included augmented-reality displays showing live data streams. Perhaps the most significant demo was the least well attended: a hydrogen fuel cell, which will be used to generate electricity on Icon, supplementing existing diesel engines. Icon will also be the first of Royal’s fleet to run on liquefied natural gas; Carnival, AIDA and MSC also all have LNG ships under construction, as part of an industry-wide move to meet emissions targets.

Icon’s design is still a closely-held secret, and Kulovaara would only speak in veiled terms. “We’re looking at how the infrastructure has been done on a cruise ship for the last 40 years, and we believe that there is the potential of doing drastically different things,” he said. The last time we spoke, in January, the outline for Icon was coming together, but the design was still lacking… something, so they took a break to look for inspiration. “A ship’s lifespan is at least 25 years. So we have to plan that a ship is still relevant, purposeful and efficient, more than 20 years ahead.”

Right now, Kulovaara has 13 ships on order. In 2014, Royal Caribbean became the world’s largest cruise line by passenger capacity (Carnival is still larger by total passengers, primarily because it offers shorter cruises). Other cruise lines have followed Fain’s lead: in 2017, MSC Cruises announced plans to build four 200,000-tonne World class ships, with split hulls remarkably similar to Symphony . Arch-rival Carnival has ordered two 180,000-tonne ships, due in 2020.

Still, Symphony ’s record as the largest ever looks like it won’t be broken for a while. “The ships are now large enough and give us a platform that we can really do some amazing things,” says Fain. “So a gut answer is: I don’t personally see a need to build larger. But never say never.”

Back on Symphony of the Seas , Yrjovuori momentarily lost his bearings. We stopped and, taking our cue from the stairway’s decor, set off downwards. The sky was getting darker and it had started to rain. Construction was winding down for the night, and for the first time the ship’s corridors were quiet. “It’s maybe romantic, but I think ships have a kind of soul,” he said. “It’s not like a building. They have a kind of personality. ”

It was a few weeks before Symphony would set out on final sea trials. “It’s such an interesting moment in the ship’s life, when she first meets the sea,” Leclercq told me, back on shore. “It’s like a baby being born. Thousands of people, thousands of skill sets… it’s a big human adventure.” When Harmony was floated, the locals in Saint-Nazaire took to the water to meet her. “Thousands of boats were in the water. It was a beautiful day.”

Symphony of the Seas already has bookings until the end of 2019. At the time of my visit, the ship’s Facebook page was filling with passengers excitingly monitoring its progress and discussing itineraries. Kelli Carlsen, an American teacher based in Oslo, told me she booked after her and her husband spent their honeymoon on Harmony of the Seas . “It was once in a lifetime,” she said – until it wasn’t. They’re booked for June 2018. The week after they disembark, she and a friend are cruising again, on Serenade of the Seas. They’re joining the ship late, in Rome, but Carlsen says she doesn’t mind. “There’s so many stops. We just go for the ships, really.”

This article was originally published by WIRED UK

From record-setter to rubbish: World’s biggest cruise ship to be scrapped without sailing a single voyage

Call it the giant of the seas that never was.

An unnamed cruise vessel of nearly record proportions that has been under construction in Germany for an Asia-focused cruise line will be scrapped before sailing a single voyage, according to German shipping magazine anBord .

This week anBord reported that the liquidators for the bankrupt MV Werften shipyard in Warnemunde, Germany, will 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 at the MV Werften shipyard were designed to hold more than 9,000 passengers, making them the world's largest cruise ships by passenger capacity.

At 208,000 tons each, the vessels would have been tied for the world's sixth-largest cruise ships by size when complete, just behind Royal Caribbean's five groundbreaking Oasis-class ships.

Both of the ships were on order for Asia-based Dream Cruises, which collapsed along with its parent company Genting Hong Kong earlier this year after its revenues plummeted due to COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns.

The MV Werften shipyard was also part of Genting Hong Kong, as was Asia-based line Star Cruises and luxury line Crystal Cruises . Like Dream Cruises, the latter two lines are being liquidated.

Related: Crystal Cruises suspends operations

The sister ship to Global Dream 2, which is further along in construction and named Global Dream, 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.

Both of the vessels were specifically designed for Asian travelers.

Among notable features, the two ships were to have the largest cinemas at sea with eight theaters apiece and the first theme parks atop a cruise ship with the longest roller coasters at sea. As of now, just one ship — Carnival Cruise Line 's Mardi Gras — has a roller coaster on its top deck.

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Would you Cruise on a 9,000 Passenger Cruise Ship? I Just Learned There are 2 Being Built (One Already Headed for Scrap)

By mnocket , September 7, 2022 in Ask a Cruise Question

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So many Questions as to why a company decided this was a good idea.  First off.... are there many popular ports that could accommodate a cruise ship of this size?

This may be old news to many, but I was amazed when I came across this story.  Would you consider sailing on a ship of this size?

https://jalopnik.com/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-to-be-scrapped-before-first-1849501828

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You make the assumption that such a ship would be stopping at ports of call.  More likely was the intent to build a pure floating resort at sea. The ship would have home ported from a port designed to embark and debark it and then spent, 5,7,10 days, whatever it was planned for as your full service floating island.  Not for me, but the company that originally planned it must have felt such a market existed.

puppycanducruise

Not for me.

It all depends. 50 years ago, we would have laughed at the concept of a 6,000 passenger ship. It's here and it is very popular. As long as venues are proportionately large enough to handle the traffic, then it could probably work. It would likely be very limited to ports.

Although, as evidence from this story, there doesn't seem to be the thirst for that type of ship at this current time. You never know....

58 minutes ago, mnocket said: So many Questions as to why a company decided this was a good idea.  First off.... are there many popular ports that could accommodate a cruise ship of this size?   This may be old news to many, but I was amazed when I came across this story.  Would you consider sailing on a ship of this size?   https://jalopnik.com/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-to-be-scrapped-before-first-1849501828  

They clearly didn't complete much fact checking for this article.

Global Dream class of ships, 2 of them, were ordered by Genting's Dream Cruise brand at their own German shipyard. Based on double occupancy they had a capacity of about 5,000 pax. At max capacity, with crew, the total compliment may be close to 9,000. However, they could not carry 9,000 pax.

When Genting and all their brands and shipyard filed for bankruptcy, the Global I was almost complete, so the liquidators are trying to sell the first ship in the Class. The 2nd ship, Global Dream II was early in construction. Since the shipyard was sold and the new owners are not building cruise ships, the partially completed hull of Global II was sold for scrap. 

At 208,000 GT, they do not have as much enclosed space as the RCCL Oasis Class ships.

Since our pax preference is 750 to 1,250, we clearly wouldn't sail on those types of ships.

NO! The largest ship we were on was the NCL Epic, and as far as I am concerned, it was much too large.

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said: They clearly didn't complete much fact checking for this article.

The other facts they failed to correctly report, is that the ship being scrapped is the Genting Dream II, which exists only as some construction blocks, not a finished ship.  The shipyard where the Genting Dream was built (almost completed), was owned by Genting as well, and is in receivership as well, and the receiver has not gotten any bids yet for the nearly completed ship, but it will not very likely be headed for the scrapyard.

cruisemom42

No, not for me.

I've sailed on ships of up to 3,000 passengers and have found that I do not enjoy them as much as smaller ships. Since then I look for smaller ships. Prefer the 750 range of Azamara/Oceania but for a good itinerary I am willing to go up to about 2,200 passengers. 

Another thing is that the ship was designed for the Chinese market,  and cabins are markedly smaller. 

I have to agree that there are passengers that like small ships, ones that like medium-sized ships, those that like large ships, and those that like the mega-ships.  Those larger than about 1200 passengers are not my first choice, but, as has been stated, the RCL ships in the 6K passenger size are popular.  Some people go for the entertainment at sea, some people go for the solitude at sea, and some go for the ports.  Some say "to-may-to" some say "to-mah-to."

While I prefer small ships, DW and I have taken our grandkids on Disney cruises, and though there were about 2,500 passengers on those cruises, we had a great time on both.

4 minutes ago, bbwex said: While I prefer small ships, DW and I have taken our grandkids on Disney cruises, and though there were about 2,500 passengers on those cruises, we had a great time on both.

Thanks for your post.  I am considering a Disney cruise for my Nephew and Niece-in Law and their children (along with me).  I have been wondering if this really is a good idea for me.  

11 minutes ago, chengkp75 said: Another thing is that the ship was designed for the Chinese market,  and cabins are markedly smaller. 

A market that has failed to develop, so far, for several reasons.  If successful in that market, the size might make sense.  

Genting seems to have "eyes" about what they see as possible that is bigger than reality.  

I have had concerns about emergency disembarkation if required within the 30 minute time period for these large ships.  Even ships of the size that Princess and HAL sails could be difficult to manage if "things go South very quickly" and some of the guests and crew panic.  

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said: I have had concerns about emergency disembarkation if required within the 30 minute time period for these large ships.  Even ships of the size that Princess and HAL sails could be difficult to manage if "things go South very quickly" and some of the guests and crew panic. 

Lots of people misunderstand the "30 minute" evacuation time limit.  Time to muster passengers is not part of this time.  Further, the requirement is that  each  lifeboat or evacuation system is capable of being prepared, loaded, and launched in 30 minutes, not that the entire ship can be evacuated in 30 minutes.

And, things don't really "go south very quickly".  Even the Concordia, which breached 4 or 5 contiguous watertight compartments (which is considered a very rare occurrence), took nearly two hours to roll over, and it would not have rolled over had it not grounded a second time.  It would have sunk upright, but down by the stern, at a slower rate.  Had the passengers been mustered when the flooding was confirmed (about 10 minutes after striking the rock), the passengers would have been mustered, accounted for, and likely loaded into lifeboats and launched long before the ship sank.

lenquixote66

6 hours ago, mnocket said: So many Questions as to why a company decided this was a good idea.  First off.... are there many popular ports that could accommodate a cruise ship of this size?   This may be old news to many, but I was amazed when I came across this story.  Would you consider sailing on a ship of this size?   https://jalopnik.com/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-to-be-scrapped-before-first-1849501828  

No,with a capital N

No!  But I don’t think I am their market.  I am sure there are people who would love it

every time these mega ships come up in the news it makes me worry that we are one mega-disaster from killing the industry 

Holy cow, the entire adult population of my town could fit on that ship with rooms left over.   

I think you will find that the vast majority of posters on here, will say no. The posters on here are only a small fraction of the cruise market though.

navybankerteacher

Anything ship carrying much more than 2,000  passengers is too big - aside from the mob at boarding, the limitations of available ports,  the likely crowds on board, the overwhelming of many small ports and the damn ugliness of such ships which look like floating urban public housing, I would prefer being on a ship  which not only appealed to me, but was also likely to be carrying people with a similar feeling about what makes an enjoyable cruise environment.

Nope, not for me.

I think the key responses on this thread were those that pointed out that the ships were not being built to carry 9000 passengers.  It was 9000 people total at full capacity and with all crew.  That's pretty close to RCI's Oasis Class numbers.

I don't blame people for not wanting to cruise on ships that big.  I, on the other hand, have cruised Oasis Class several times and I thought those cruises and the ships were amazing.  I know I'm not alone because those 5 ships always seem to manage to sail full, and with an impressive number of repeat cruisers.    

10 hours ago, gerryuk said: I think you will find that the vast majority of posters on here, will say no. The posters on here are only a small fraction of the cruise market though.

Yes, I think that sums up the answer to the original question exactly.

2 hours ago, Aquahound said: I think the key responses on this thread were those that pointed out that the ships were not being built to carry 9000 passengers.  It was 9000 people total at full capacity and with all crew.  That's pretty close to RCI's Oasis Class numbers.   I don't blame people for not wanting to cruise on ships that big.  I, on the other hand, have cruised Oasis Class several times and I thought those cruises and the ships were amazing.  I know I'm not alone because those 5 ships always seem to manage to sail full, and with an impressive number of repeat cruisers.    

Yeah.  I'm the OP and it sure seems like the article was poorly researched and written.

18 hours ago, Mary229 said: every time these mega ships come up in the news it makes me worry that we are one mega-disaster from killing the industry 

I doubt that would happen.  We have had mega air disasters and that has not killed the airline industry.  Maybe "chilled" it a bit in the minds of some potential passengers?  Probably, yes.  The same kind of reaction is what I would expect if such a disaster would take place again.  After the Costa Concordia accident, a couple of friends, who have never cruised, asked me if I was more "concerned" about being in such a situation.  My answer was "No.  I feel more safe on a ship than I do at home sometimes."  

Lots of debate about ship size among cruisers.  But folks should be tolerant of the fact that this is a different strokes thing.  For folks looking for a short (less than 10 day cruise) on a ship with lots of families, kids, amenities, toys, etc. it is hard to beat the mega ships often seen in the Caribbean.  On the other hand, for those of us doing longer more exotic itineraries (around the world) that often call at relatively small ports, a mega ship is not practical.  Imagine trying to tender 5000 into Santorini!  It would take about 4 hours just to move all those folks one-way on the cable car!   The reality is that many of the exotic ports around the world cannot handle mega ships.  Most folks who go on those more exotic itineraries are not looking for onboard water parks, bumper cars, etc.  

So I do think some folks need to be a little more tolerant.  Because that young couple or family looking for a typical 7 day Caribbean cruise on a ship with lots to do will generally love the huge ships.  And than there are folks like me who would rather be on a 400-600 passenger vessel that includes just about everything (including caviar) and has few children/teens running around screaming, playing , and having a great time.

CHEZMARYLOU

No. Would never do it. I like the size of Celebrity's ships and hope they keep it reasonable.

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Passenger dies as Spirit of Discovery cruise ship lashed by 30ft wave amid huge storm

The spirit of discovery, operating for saga cruises, sailed her maiden voyage on july 10, 2019 after camilla, duchess of cornwall, christened it at the port of dover in kent.

• 05:09, 29 Oct 2024
• Updated 12:27, 29 Oct 2024

A passenger on board a cruise died and more than 100 others were injured after the ship was battered by a 30ft wave, a report has revealed.

The Spirit of Discovery liner was travelling back to the UK along the Bay of Biscay on November 4, 2023 when it was battered by storm-force winds. Eight people were initially raced to hospital once the ship arrived at Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Speaking at the time, passengers told of how they had to "hold on for dear life" when the monster storm lashed at the luxury liner seeing it "veer and shutter to a halt". Now, an interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has now revealed one of the passengers treated in hospital later died from their injuries.

Prior to the ship being whipped by winds, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona, Spain, when that port was closed because of the conditions.

The new report states that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated 8 for very high.

The MAIB document says: "At about 1230 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay. This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel's propulsion.

"The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.

"During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries."

The report continues: "The MAIB's investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery's loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessel's intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers.'

The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved. Passengers onboard the vessel described the terrifying moment they were told to either "remain seated or lie down" as they were forced to "hold on for dear life".

People were "thrown" by the force of the emergency stop and pictures show books, tables and other furniture flung to the ground as the intense storm gripped the ship.

A spokeswoman for Saga said all guests on the trip had been offered a full refund and added: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year. We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."

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One passenger killed and over 100 injured after terrifying incident on cruise ship

A spokesperson from saga cruises states the company's 'deepest sympathies' remain with the family of the unnamed guest who died.

An holiday-maker died after a ship got caught in horrific weather last year, an official incident report has revealed.

On November 4, 2023, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, was caught in a storm in the Bay of Biscay.

It’s understood the liner had previously canceled a visit to the major cruise port Las Palmas, located on the northeastern coast of Gran Canaria, as the weather worsened.

Crew onboard the Spirit of Discovery then made the decision to return to the UK when the liner ‘lost propulsion in heavy weather’ and began to be battered by force 11 winds.

The cruise ship - which hosted 943 passengers and 503 crew members at the time - was moving ‘violently’ in storm-force conditions , causing it to suffer ‘internal and external damage’.

More than 100 passengers were injured during the expedition and eight were rushed to hospital for treatment when the ship returned to dock in Portsmouth, England.

One of the holidaymakers who sustained serious injuries later died, according to the official report.

"At about 12.30 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay," the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said, as per LBC.

"This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel's propulsion. The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.”

The report confirmed that ‘all aspects’ of the accident have been considered and that the investigation has included a probe into the onboard staff response to passenger injuries and analysis of the vessel’s intended passage.

Preparations for operating in heavy weather and the medical treatment of all 100 injured passengers have also been looked into by the MAIB.

The interim statement added that the investigation is near completion while a full report for ‘consultation with the parties involved’ is expected to be issued shortly.

A spokesperson for Saga Cruises said at the time that while the weather is ‘clearly beyond’ the company’s control, they did offer their ‘sincere apologies to all those affected’.

A representative added in a recent statement: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year.

"We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."

Topics:  Cruise ship , Weather , Travel , UK News

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Cruise ship horror as passenger dies & 100 injured on storm-battered Saga vessel hit by 30ft waves, report finds

• Morgan Johnson , News Reporter
• Published : 8:07, 29 Oct 2024
• Updated : 10:51, 29 Oct 2024

• Published : Invalid Date,

A PASSENGER on board a cruise ship died in a storm which saw 100 more people injured, a report has found.

Saga vessel Spirit of Discovery was smashed by 30ft waves and force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay on November 4, 2023.

The storm last year hospitalised eight people when the ship finally docked at Portsmouth - one of whom sadly died from their injuries.

An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that shortly before the incident, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened.

It was instead heading towards La Corona where the port was closed because of the weather conditions.

Cruise crews then decided to return to the UK when the ship's propulsion safety system was activated - causing it to veer suddenly to the left and bring the vessel to a sudden halt.

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The MAIB report states that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board at the time.

It said: "At about 12.30 on 4 November, 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay.

"This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel's propulsion.

"The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.

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"During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries."

It continued: "The MAIB's investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery's loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessel's intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage and the medical treatment of injured passengers."

The investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued.

Saga Cruises said in a statement: "Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.

"The ship remained safe at all times but, due to the impact of the storm, some guests sustained injuries.

"All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.

"While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas."

A spokeswoman for Saga said all guests on the trip had been offered a full refund and added: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year.

"We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."

Spirit of Discovery was on a 14-night  Canary Island  Quintet cruise, which departed on 24 October last year.

However, after 10 days of smooth sailing, the crew decided to cancel its final call to Las Palmas and continue to La Coruna in northern  Spain  to get ahead of the approaching storm.

On its way to La Coruna it emerged the port was closed, so the ship headed to the UK earlier than planned.

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While in the Bay of Biscay, which can have choppy waters, the ship's propulsion safety system activated at 12.30pm and turned the vessel.

Passengers then spent around 18 hours waiting for the storm and gales to pass after a decision was taken by the Master to hold the position in the Bay of Biscay.

Key findings from the report

BY Morgan Johnson

AN interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has revealed one of the eight passengers seriously injured in the storm has died.

The report also found:

• There were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board at the time
• Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather
• The cruise ship moved 'violently' and issues continued until the following morning
• Over 100 people were injured
• Eight were taken to hospital with serious injuries once the vessel docked in Portsmouth
• One person died from their injuries
• Full report will consider the ship's preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage and the medical treatment of injured passengers
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$1.5 billion cruise ship to be scrapped after company filed for bankruptcy

The “world’s largest” cruise ship which would have been able to carry 9000 passengers is now set to be scrapped before its maiden voyage.

The “world’s largest” cruise ship, which would have been able to carry 9000 passengers, is now set to be scrapped before its maiden voyage.

Global Dream II is a 20-deck vessel which includes an outdoor water park and cinema.

German-Hong Kong shipbuilding firm MV Werften had nearly completed construction of the ship when the company filed for bankruptcy at the start of this year, The Sun reports.

Now, unless administrators can find a buyer to pay the ship’s $1.5 billion price tag, Global Dream II is set to be scrapped.

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The ship has so far cost around $2 billion to build – and it still needs $340 million to be spent on it to complete construction.

Its sister ship, Global Dream , is also on the market, but as it is complete it is unlikely it would be sold for scrap.

Both vessels are currently being stored at a German shipyard but time is running out to find a buyer for the pair.

The administrator for MV Werften, Christoph Morgen, told a press conference the company’s shipyard in Wismar had been sold to Thyssenkrupp’s naval unit, which will use it to build military vessels.

That means both Global Dream and Global Dream II will have to be removed by the end of 2023.

Mr Morgen told German newspaper Die Welt that, while Global Dream II is structurally complete, it still needs some equipment and passenger facilities before it could be used as a commercial cruise liner.

Now, unless a buyer can be found, the ship’s engines and other parts will be sold off, while the lower hull will be sold for scrap, according to German cruise industry magazine An Bord .

One stumbling block to finding a buyer for the ships is that they were designed for the Asian market, according to An Bord , so the “cabin, deck and propulsion system” would reportedly need major changes before the vessels would be suitable for use in either North America or Europe.

However there is still some hope a buyer can be found with cruise ship experts TradeWinds saying Stena is looking to buy the ship in the hopes that it will give its Chinese cruise business a boost.

TradeWinds said: “ Global Dream would have no problems finding a buyer in a strong cruise market.

“Faced with the tight deadline to get the Global Dream out of its building dock by the end of 2023, recycling the ship in Turkey is a last resort that Morgen hopes to avoid.”

In terms of passenger capacity, both vessels would have been the largest cruise ships in the world.

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The Royal Caribbean liner Wonder of the Seas is the current titleholder with the capacity to hold 6988 passengers.

Coming in at a weight of 208,000 tonnes each, the ships would have been the joint sixth largest by size, behind the Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis-class ships.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission

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Bay of Biscay, France: Passenger killed after 9m waves hit cruise ship, more than 100 injured as force 11 winds strike

One passenger died after a Spirit of Discovery cruise ship was battered by heavy weather. Photo / Getty Images

A passenger was killed and more than 100 others injured after a Saga cruise ship was hit by 9m waves during a violent storm.

On November 4, 2023 , Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Discovery headed back to England after sailing from Puerto del Rosario in Spain 10 days prior.

According to an interim report released by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), at 12.30pm local time the ship was struck by force 11 winds - a category meaning “violent storm” on the Beaufort Wind Scale - as it crossed the Bay of Biscay on the western coastline of France.

The report, titled “Very Serious Marine Casualty”, said that eight passengers were treated in a hospital in Portsmouth, England, with one passenger later dying from their injuries.

It said the vessel was carrying 943 passengers and 503 crew onboard, moving “violently” as staff tried to maneuver it through the turbulent weather.

“The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage,” the report stated.

“During this period over 100 passengers were injured.”

The interim report added details on its investigation approach, noting that it will be shared with relevant parties for consultation.

“The MAIB’s investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery’s loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on board response, including analysis of the vessel’s intended passage; preparations for operating in heavy weather; the on board response to passenger injuries and damage; and the medical treatment of injured passengers,” it said.

“The MAIB investigation is nearing completion, and a draft of the report is being prepared and will be distributed to stakeholders for a 30-day consultation period in due course.”

Speaking to the Independent following the incident in November, passenger Carol Lake said she thought she “wasn’t going to make it” as she saw massive waves, which were reportedly 9m high.

“It was like a horror movie outside with the waves going up so high,” Lake added

In a statement, Saga Cruises said that all passengers were offered a refund, adding “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year.”

“We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation,” it said.

The cruise line, which has operated for more than 70 years, exclusively creates holidays for those aged 50 and over. Alongside the Spirit of Discovery, the fleet also includes the Spirit of Adventure which sails across Northern Europe, the Mediterranean , and the Caribbean .

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Passenger died after cruise ship hit by force 11 winds in storm – report

A passenger on board the Spirit of Discovery died of his injuries after the cruise ship was hit by force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay , a report of the incident has revealed.

More than 100 guests were injured in the storm on November 4 2023, with eight being taken to hospital when the ship arrived at Portsmouth in Hampshire.

An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said one of the passengers treated in hospital later died from their injuries.

Prior to the incident, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions.

The ship’s crew took the decision to return to the UK when the ship’s propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather causing it to veer suddenly to the left, bringing the vessel to a sudden halt.

The MAIB report states that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated 8 for very high.

It says: “At about 1230 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay.

“This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel’s propulsion.

“The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.

“During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries.”

It continues: “The MAIB’s investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery’s loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessel’s intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers.”

The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved.

Saga Cruises said in a statement following the incident: “Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.

“The ship remained safe at all times but, due to the impact of the storm, some guests sustained injuries.

“All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.

“While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas.”

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Cruise ship hot tubs likely cause of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks, CDC says

Two Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks on cruises likely stemmed from private hot tubs onboard, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health agency was notified between November 2022 and June 2024 about a dozen cases among passengers on two ships. The illness is a severe kind of pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria.

Eight travelers on one ship became ill – including one probable case – while four on the other were sickened. The report does not name the vessels or the cruise lines.

“Epidemiologic data collected from patient interviews and environmental assessment and sampling results identified private hot tubs on selected cabin balconies as the most likely exposure source,” the CDC said in the report dated Oct. 24.

On the first vessel, referred to in the report as cruise ship A, legionella was found in six of its 10 private balcony hot tubs. “Of the six private balcony hot tubs with Legionella detections, four had concentrations of Legionella >100 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL, and two had concentrations >1,000 CFU/mL,” the report said. “The hot tubs remained closed until their operation and maintenance protocols were modified and nondetectable Legionella sampling results were obtained.”

The outbreak on that ship was the biggest investigated on cruises by the health agency since 2008.

The bacteria was detected in cruise ship B’s eight private balcony hot tubs as well and were closed “until each had nondetectable Legionella postremediation sampling results.”

Among the 12 ill passengers, 10 were hospitalized. There were no fatalities. Only two of the guests stayed in cabins with balcony hot tubs, but even those "located in private areas can disseminate aerosols to common areas and result in exposures, even in persons who do not use the hot tubs themselves," according to the report.

The cruise lines had followed CDC requirements for operating private hot tubs, but the report said those were “insufficient” to keep the bacteria from growing.

Cruise ship medical facilities: What happens if you get sick or injured (or bitten by a monkey)

The cruise companies altered guests and crew members to the possibility of legionella exposure during the investigations. “Both cruise lines ultimately modified the operation and maintenance of the private hot tubs so that heating elements were removed; tubs were only filled upon guest request, drained between uses, and cleaned and disinfected more frequently,” the report said.

Filtration elements were also removed from devices on cruise ship A. Both vessels are still undergoing sampling.

Small amounts of legionella are frequently present in the water cruise ships use for drinking, showers and other amenities, Richard Miller, founder and president of Environmental Safety Technologies, Inc., told USA TODAY last year . But those quantities are not usually high enough to cause illness.

The bacteria can grow in an environment like warm water, however. “They just have to manage that and keep it from replicating,” he said at the time.

The CDC noted in the report that a number of “patients reported other possible exposure locations during their travel, such as hotels and shoreside excursions at ports of call,” but said the cruises were the only exposure the travelers had in common.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Passenger died and more than 100 others injured after cruise ship battered by 30ft wave

The spirit of discovery liner was travelling back to the uk along the bay of biscay when it was battered by storm-force winds.

• 07:54, 29 OCT 2024

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A passenger died and over 100 others sustained injuries after a cruise ship was struck by a colossal 30ft wave, according to an official report. The Spirit of Discovery, a cruise liner operated by Saga Cruises, was on the way back to the UK across the Bay of Biscay on November 4, 2023, when it encountered severe storm-force winds.

Upon arrival at Portsmouth eight people were urgently taken to hospital. At the time, passengers recounted their harrowing experience, describing how they had to "hold on for dear life" as the tempest battered the luxury ship, causing it to "veer and shutter to a halt".

An interim report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has now disclosed that one of the hospitalised passengers died from their injuries. Before the ordeal, the Spirit of Discovery had to forgo a stop at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria due to deteriorating weather and was heading towards La Corona, Spain, which was subsequently closed off due to the adverse conditions.

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The report indicates that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew members aboard when the ship, departing from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated eight for very high. The MAIB's findings reveal that around 12.30am on November 4, 2023, the Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion amidst heavy weather while traversing the Bay of Biscay, resulting in violent movements as the crew worked to restart the ship's propulsion systems.

According to the report: "The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.

"During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries."

The investigation has examined all aspects of the incident, including the ship's planned route, preparations for navigating heavy weather, the onboard response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers, reports the Mirror .

The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete, and a full report will be issued for consultation with the parties involved.

Passengers on board described the terrifying moment they were instructed to "remain seated or lie down" as they were forced to "hold on for dear life". The force of the emergency stop threw people off balance, and photos show books, tables, and other furniture scattered on the floor as the intense storm hit the ship.

A Saga representative stated that all passengers on the voyage were given a complete reimbursement and expressed: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year. We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."

Were you on the ship? Get in touch with WalesOnline at [email protected]

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Passenger dies and 100 more injured after 30ft wave smashes into cruise ship

A report into the incident onboard The Spirit of Discovery in November 2023 has now been released

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A passenger died and more than 100 people were injured after the cruise ship they were travelling on was hit by a 30ft wave, a report has revealed. The Spirit of Discovery was hit by the wave on November 4, 2023, while making its journey back to the UK through the Bay of Biscay in storm-force winds.

Following the vessel's arrival in Portsmouth, Hampshire, eight individuals were urgently transported to hospital. At the time, passengers recounted terrifying moments where they had to "hold on for dear life" as the luxury Saga Cruises liner was rocked by the fierce storm, causing it to "veer and shutter to a halt".

An interim report, which has now been released by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), has disclosed that one of those hospitalised succumbed to their injuries. Prior to being caught in the treacherous weather , the Spirit of Discovery had to forego a stop at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria due to the deteriorating weather and aimed for La Corona, Spain, before it too was ruled out by the adverse conditions.

The MAIB report highlighted there were 943 passengers and a crew of 503 when the vessel encountered force 11 winds and a very high sea state rated 8, after departing from Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. According to the MAIB's findings, "At about 1230 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay. This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel's propulsion.

"The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage. During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries", reports the Mirror .

The report continues: "The MAIB's investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery's loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessel's intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers.'

"The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved. Passengers onboard the vessel described the terrifying moment they were told to either.

"The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved. Passengers onboard the vessel described the terrifying moment they were told to either "remain seated or lie down" as they were forced to "hold on for dear life".

People were "thrown" by the force of the emergency stop and pictures show books, tables and other furniture flung to the ground as the intense storm gripped the ship.

A spokesperson for Saga commented that all guests on the trip have been provided with a full refund. They added: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year. We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."

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Search Suspended for Woman Who Fell Overboard on Taylor Swift-Themed Cruise

A representative for the U.S. Coast Guard shared an update with PEOPLE Wednesday afternoon. The 66-year-old woman fell from the Royal Caribbean ship Tuesday night near the Bahamas

The search for a passenger who fell overboard from a Taylor Swift -themed cruise has been suspended, PEOPLE has learned.

A representative for the U.S. Coast Guard told PEOPLE on Wednesday afternoon that the Royal Bahamas Defense Force — the agency leading the search for the missing 66-year-old woman — had suspended the search, pending any further developments, and were no longer requesting assistance from the Coast Guard. 

The woman fell from Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas ship in the Bahamas, 17 miles north of Nassau, at about 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Coast Guard previously told PEOPLE.

As of Wednesday morning, rescue crews from both the Coast Guard and Royal Bahamas Defense Force were still looking for the missing passenger.

Cathy Rice  

The Coast Guard added that it had diverted an HC-144 airplane crew and a MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter from Air Station Miami to assist with the search. 

PEOPLE has reached out to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force for more information.

A passenger on board the ship told PEOPLE exclusively that rumors of the incident started circulating Tuesday night when what they described as a "lifeboat" was seen circling the ship, which was at a standstill.

Henrik Kettunen/Getty ; Cathy Rice

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A representative for Royal Caribbean told PEOPLE on Wednesday morning that it was working with local authorities to try and locate the passenger.

"We are also providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time," the company’s statement said. "To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share."

Travel agents Jessica Malerman, Nicole Rivera, and Shelby Reyes worked with Royal Caribbean to organize the "In My Cruise Era” event, a group of Swifties who departed from Miami on Tuesday. It's unclear whether the missing passenger was part of the group of Swift fans.

The group’s website said fans embarking on the trip would “celebrate all things Taylor, make new friends, dress up in our favorite eras, trade friendship bracelets, and enjoy everything this amazing ship has to offer!”

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