A familiar face has popped up again at cruise giant Genting Hong Kong (Genting HK).

Colin Au, who headed the company until late 2000 and who snapped up Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) from under the nose of Carnival Corp, has returned to spearhead the reawakening of its Asian cruise ambitions.

Genting HK’s public-relations machine has given Au a rather vague title of founding president and chief executive, and advisor to current chairman and chief executive Lim Kok Thay.