Two well-known Asia cruise brands that were unable to survive the economic challenges of the pandemic will soon be resurrected as Resorts World Cruises transitions into Dream Cruises and StarCruises.
Resorts World Cruises announced the plan to split into the two brands on February 26, 2025, detailing a transition strategy that will take about three months.
The current cruise company was created just three years ago by the former executive of Genting Cruises, which went bankrupt along with its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, and sister brands Dream Cruises and Star Cruises.
Resorts World began operations with one ship, Genting Dream, formerly part of the Dream Cruises’ fleet, sailing from Singapore.
Dream Cruises will continue to base the 3,300-guest Genting Dream in Singapore year-round, sailing itineraries featuring Malaysia and Thailand. The announcement of the return of Dream Cruises refers to “spacious ships” — plural, suggesting that the new line might add one or more ships to the fleet.
Dream Cruises, the announcement said, represents a sophisticated and indulgent onboard experience, “spacious ships with over 3,000-passenger capacity,” world-class dining, and themed experiences.
StarCruises, meanwhile, was named similarly to the former Star Cruises (space versus no space), another Genting Hong Kong brand that went down with the parent company’s failure. In 2022, Resorts World Cruises acquired the Star Cruises’ brand.
The new StarCruises line will emerge with two ships. The vessel, which is currently known as Resorts World One, will be renamed Star Navigator, joining Star Voyager, a ship that Resorts World Cruises bought in late 2024.
Star Navigator, with a capacity of 1,850 guests, will operate four cruises from Singapore starting on March 7, 2025, before repositioning to Taiwan for an eight-month deployment. Starting March 28, 2025, sailings from Taiwan will visit destinations in Japan and South Korea.
Star Voyager was renamed from Star Scorpio, and is slated to begin sailing from Singapore on March 26, 2025. From Singapore, Star Voyager will sail a series of 5-night cruises in March and April, and June and July 2025.
The 1,800-guest ship formerly sailed as Pacific Explorer for P&O Cruises Australia, and earlier as Dawn Princess for Princess Cruises.
“By clearly differentiating StarCruises and Dream Cruises, the brands will cater to distinct segments while reinforcing their leadership in the Asian cruise industry,” a statement from Resorts World Cruises said.
“This transition marks an exciting step forward, reflecting the brands’ commitments to delivering exceptional world class cruise experiences that cater to a diverse range of travellers,” the statement added.
Another Genting Brand, Crystal, Also Had a Happy Ending
Besides the failures of its Dream Cruises and Star Cruises brands, Genting Hong Kong’s bankruptcy impacted one of the industry’s most respected luxury brands, Crystal Cruises.
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Its two ships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, were acquired by the A&K Travel Group, which relaunched the brand as “Crystal – Exceptional at Sea.” The group also owns Abercrombie & Kent, one of the top luxury tour operators in the world.
Both ships underwent substantial upgrades before entering service as the new Crystal. Changes included reducing the guest capacity of both vessels in an effort to provide more spacious public areas and staterooms.
The 68,870-gross ton Crystal Serenity was reduced to 740 guests, down from 1,040, while the 51,044-gross ton Crystal Symphony now accommodates 606 passengers, down from 960.
The staff-to-guest ratio on both ships was raised to nearly 1:1, ensuring an unmatched level of luxurious treatment.
