Guests sailing aboard Resorts World Cruises’ 3,300-guest Genting Dream no longer must use tender boats when the ship calls at Phuket, Thailand, thanks to the vessel’s ability to now occupy a berth at the Phuket Deep Sea Port.
The cruise line announced the operational change on July 25, 2024, following the ship’s successful docking at the location for the first time. Genting Dream is the largest ship to use a berth at the port.
Resorts World Cruises, which was founded in 2022, acquired Genting Dream the same year, after Genting Hong Kong, the parent company of its former owner, Dream Cruises, went bankrupt. The 150,695-gross ton ship entered service in 2016.
Genting Dream operates a series of getaway cruises in Asia, including 3-night cruises to Phuket roundtrip from Singapore. Other sailings currently offered include 2-night Kuala Lumpur and High Seas Weekend Getaway voyages; 3-night Singapore-Penang cruises, and 4-night Singapore Discovery cruises, among others.
The ship’s ability to berth at the Phuket dock means more time in port for guests to explore and enjoy the destination, which is famous for beaches, a quaint old town, eco-adventures, restaurants and nightclubs, and various cultural landmarks.
“Our Marine Operational team, the captains of Genting Dream together with the Phuket Pilots have conducted comprehensive studies, risk assessments and ship simulations over half a year with the Thailand authorities to ensure the feasibility and safety of this pioneering initiative,” said Michael Goh, president of Resorts World Cruises.
“With our ship now able to berth alongside Phuket Deep Sea Port regularly, our passengers will enjoy the convenience, which will further boost Phuket’s image as a cruise destination,” Goh added.
The Phuket Deep Sea Port welcomed Genting Dream to her berth with a special event to celebrate the milestone. A reception held onboard the ship included cruise line and port officials, such as the deputy governor of Phuket, Adul Chuthong, Genting Dream Captain Jukka Silvennoinen, and Captain Havard Ramsoy, senior vice president of fleet operations for Resorts World Cruises.
The announcement did not indicate any infrastructure improvements or changes that were made to enable the berth to accommodate the mega-ship but noted that with large cruise vessels now able to avoid using tender craft, the port might attract significantly more cruise tourism.
The port and Resorts World Cruises are exploring additional opportunities for future business, along with a possible “cruise and clearance gateway for outbound passengers embarking Genting Dream,” which appears to imply a potential home-porting option.
Phuket Port Readies for Busy Winter Cruise Season
Currently, no ships homeport at Phuket, but many ships call there, with the most volume occurring during the winter months. Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic’s National Geographic Orion will call at Phuket twice in August, and Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess will visit in September.
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Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas will call at the port three times in November, and in December and January, the roster of ships increases dramatically.
Slated to call during the 2024-25 winter season are Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium, Azamara’s Azamara Pursuit, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Voyager, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky, and Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Riviera.
In addition to Genting Dream, Resorts World Cruises operates a second ship, Resorts World One, an 1,856-guest ship that, like Genting Dream, formerly sailed for Dream Cruises as Explorer Dream.
The cruise line chartered the ship starting in 2023, and rebranded the vessel as Resorts World One. Based in Keelung, Taiwan, through August, the ship operates short getaways, mostly to Japan. In the fall of 2024, the ship will sail 2-, 3-, and 5-night cruises between Hong Kong and Singapore.
