Ultimate cruise experience for Sabahans

Star Cruises’ largest ship beckons holiday-seekers in East M’sia to its world of high sea adventure

By Mariah Doksil (The Borneo Post)

IF you fancy experiencing a stay in a floating hotel where you can look out into the deep blue sea from your cabin window and enjoy lots of top class live entertainment and great facilities, you should not miss a cruise tour on board SuperStar Aquarius.

The 51,309-ton cruise liner, which is the largest among a number of ships owned by Star Cruises, commences its seasonal homeport deployment from Kota Kinabalu for the first time in November this year to present Sabahans and other East Malaysians with that opportunity.

The 756-cabin Las Vegas Hotel on board SuperStar Aquarius boasts a multitude of gourmet cuisine, world-class entertainment and great relaxing options that appeal to a whole range of holidaymakers, be they families, honeymooners, senior citizens and even incentives and business groups.

Vice president of Star Cruises East Malaysia operations, Edward Johann Leong, said Star Cruises will be the first international cruise line to homeport in Kota Kinabalu, continuing their pioneering and leading position in Asia's cruise industry.

"We will be doing major adjustment on our restaurants and activities to meet the needs of multiracial community in Sabah. We will set up Halal restaurant on board, but the entertainment highlights will be the same.

"As we mentioned before, our highlights for all Star Cruises ships are the activities and facilities we have on board, while the destinations are the bonuses," Leong said.

SuperStar Aquarius is currently cruising from Keelung, Taiwan to Ishigaki and Naha Island of Japan.

Set to be the next highlight of tourism industry in Sabah, Star Cruises will offer 4 Days 3 Nights (4D3N) cruises on board SuperStar Aquarius from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan and Sarawak's Bintulu, departing every Sunday.

Star Cruises have come up with a number of exclusive shore excursions for guests to choose and explore local attractions.

Besides, from Wednesday to Saturday, passengers can immerse in another dimension of cruise fun and entertainment on SuperStar Aquarius' daily overnight high sea experience.

Apart from acrobatic performances by Europe talents, among entertainment highlights on board are The Crew Show: Step it Up, Magic Show, Glimpse and The Fabulous Chan.

The Crew Show: Step it Up, is a showcase of talent of SuperStar Aquarius' very own crew, where they will perform live on stage and transform themselves to bright and shining superstars
and make their way up into different level.

Meanwhile, Magic Show is very interesting as the talent will perform with the participation of the audience. Children will also have the opportunity to attend Magic Class which will be arranged in a group.

Glimpse show is strictly for adults. It presents the exceptionally alluring Star Cruises Dancers as they showcase an unforgettable escape from reality. Experience an unimaginable world of passion and seduction on board Superstar Aquarius.

As for Wine and Dine, SuperStar Aquarius has a number of restaurants, bars and lounges namely Blue Lagoon, a 24-hour refreshment and á la carte Asian specialty restaurant; Champ's Bar, an outdoor pool bar at the forward deck; Dynasty Restaurant, a Chinese family style dining
restaurant serving complete menu for dinner; Lagoon Bar, a Wine bar; Skyline Karaoke, a modern setup of karaoke rooms and space; Mariners Buffet, a continental dining restaurant; Oceana Barbecue, an outdoor international buffet and grilled specials; Spices Restaurant, Asian specialty buffet restaurant and Taipan, a Chinese a la carte restaurant.

For sports and fitness lovers, there are basketball court, jogging track, swimming pool, gymnasium, spa treatment, massage service and foot reflexology.

Another highlight on the cruise is the shopping opportunity. Guests can shop to their heart's content on board in the 409-square-meter upscale duty-free shopping gallery featuring China Duty Free, upmarket wristwatch and jewellery boutique Canopus, leather goods specialist Milan Station, gifts and souvenirs outlet Ports O' Call and many more, including high quality of tea herbs at Tea Corner.

After a full day non-stop fun, guests can unwind and relax with a choice of over 30 types of wellbeing and health treatments at the spa.

If guests are traveling with children, Child Care Centre is open for children's playroom and nursery service with a minimal charge.

SuperStar Aquarius' daily one-night high sea experience is currently more than 80 per cent occupied, while the 4D3N cruises are selling fast.

Booking can be made by contacting Star Cruises office at 088-519882 which is located at Ground Floor, Block L of KK Times Square. Apart from Star Cruises, booking is also available at Matthewpaul Tours and Travel Sdn. Bhd. The company is the sole Preferred Sales Agent (PSA) of Star Cruises.