The new Genting World, and an upcoming sister vessel due to launch in 2017, will have a similar design to Norwegian Cruise Line's Breakaway-class ships as Genting Hong Kong, the owners of Star Cruises, have a 28% stake in Norwegian Cruise Line.
Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genting Hong Kong, commented on the new-build:
"It is a proud moment for all of us at Genting Hong Kong, especially for me, as today’s steel cutting ceremony marks a new chapter for Genting Hong Kong, reaffirming our Star Cruises brand as the leader in Asian cruise travel. The delivery of these two newly commissioned mega cruise ships will enable us to continue to strengthen and further enhance our competitiveness across our key source markets.”
In the past, the two cruise lines have transferred some of their ships to one-another. Norwegian Spirit, Dawn and Star, were originally operated by Star Cruises under the names SuperStar Leo, Scorpio and Libra. SuperStar Aquarius, Libra and Gemini previously operated as Norwegian Wind, Sea and Dream.