StarCruises Relaunches in Asia Three Years After Bankruptcy

Three years after the bankruptcy of Genting Hong Kong which resulted in the collapse of both Star Cruises and Dream Cruises the corporation has relaunched the brands. Earlier this year they announced plans to rebrand away from Resorts World Cruises back to the traditional brand names as part of the future growth strategy for the company.

Star Cruises was launched 30 years ago and became known as one of the pioneers of modern cruising in Asia. The brand went on to build cruise ships at Meyer Werft in Germany and in 2000 acquired the faltering Norwegian Cruise Line which had been one of the pioneers in North America. After rehabilitating Norwegian including the introduction of “freestyle cruising” (cruising without schedules or assigned dining arrangements) the company also launched Dream Cruises in Asia as a premium brand.

The 2022 bankruptcy of the German shipyard owned by the company, MV Werften, caused the collapse of the parent company and its cruise lines. The ships were sold but Genting was able to reestablish the business as Resorts World Cruises with two of its former ships. Last year, the company acquired the 77,400 gross tons built in 1997 by Fincantieri and operates as P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Explorer.

Renamed Star Voyager and having completed a $50 million refit, the cruise ship returned to service on March 26 in Singapore and March 29 in Indonesia. The ship will be sailing a circuit between Singapore, Jakarta, Melaka, and Ho Chi Minh City officially relaunching the brand as StarCruises. She is joined by the rechristened Star Navigator (77,300 gross tons), introduced in 1999 as SuperStar Virgo. She resumed sailing in 2023 as Resorts World One and operates seasonally from Singapore and Taiwan.

“We are thrilled and honored to return to our roots with the launch of the revitalized StarCruises and Dream Cruises brands, offering an enhanced cruising experience," said Michael Goh, President of StarCruises and Dream Cruises. “To celebrate this milestone, we are also excited to introduce the Star Voyager, as she embarks on her maiden voyage from Singapore, exploring the wonders of Southeast Asia.”

StarCruises will be positioned as an affordable cruise brand with the two ships. The group says its focus will be on ships with accommodations for approximately 2,000 passengers.

Dream Cruises was also restarted as the premium brand within the group. It will continue to operate the Genting Dream (150,600 gross tons). The ship was built for the company by Meyer Werft and entered service in 2016. It sails year-round from Singapore.