Star Cruises, the leading cruise line operator in Asia-Pacific, yesterday held a ceremony at Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise Terminal to celebrate SuperStar Aquarius homeporting in Sanya with new Sanya-Vietnam cruise itineraries. Star Cruises is the first international cruise line to homeport in Sanya.
The 51,309-ton SuperStar Aquarius arrived at the terminal at 7pm on 3 November amidst Chinese traditional revelry and festivity. The vessel was welcomed by a number of government officials including Mr Chen Haibo, Deputy Director of The Standing Committee of Hainan Provincial People's Congress; Mr Wang Yutian, Hainan Provincial CPPCC Vice Chairman; Mr Lu Zhiyuan, Assistant Governor, Hainan Province; and Mr Wang Yong, Mayor, Sanya. Accompanied by Mr David Chua, Star Cruises President, and Star Cruises' management team, the group of government officials joined the celebratory ceremony and activities afterwards.
Mr Chua commenced the ceremony with members of the Star Cruises international sales team from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and the U.S., amongst others. Against the backdrop of celebratory fireworks, they greeted Sanya and guests in a variety of local languages. He added that Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman of Star Cruises' parent company Genting Hong Kong, sent his best wishes to the new deployment and the governments of Hainan and Sanya.
Star Cruises is the pioneer of cruise holiday in China and Asia-Pacific, and will continue to play a vital role to developing the industry in mainland China. Mr Chua said, "It is with great honour and pleasure that Star Cruises deploys SuperStar Aquarius to homeport in Sanya. We have started promoting the Sanya-Vietnam itineraries regionally and internationally more than six months ago. Today, we invited over 500 representatives from international and Chinese travel agencies and media organizations to celebrate the launch."
The new deployment reflects Star Cruises' long-held mission in developing new and interesting cruise holiday products for customers. During the five-month deployment, SuperStar Aquarius will ply the South China Sea, departing from thriving Sanya in two- and three-nights destination cruises to Halong Bay, Danang and Hu?. The new cruises will take advantage of the cool and sunny weather in Sanya, coupled with duty free shopping, sightseeing, entertainment and cultural shore excursion options which the four ports are famous for.
In the newly announced itineraries, passengers of SuperStar Aquarius will experience China's most popular beach paradise and its pristine fine-sand long beaches, amongst other things. Sanya has attracted increasing tourist attention, courtesy of its duty-free shopping, mushrooming tourist attractions and MICE facilities. Halong Bay is arguably the most beautiful tourist destination of Vietnam, featuring countless awe-inspiring limestone karsts and islands of different sizes and shapes along the Bai Chay Beach coastline. Well known for its historic monuments, Hu has been enshrined in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It boasts the Nguy?n Dynasty imperial citadel, the Tombs of the Emperors and the Thiên M? Pagoda. The fourth largest city in Vietnam, Danang offers visitors the opportunity to savor the historical Hoi An town and the country's fifth World Heritage Site My Son; to bask on the scenic Non Nuoc beach; and enjoy a round of golf and the bustling city life.
Onboard dining and entertainment have been especially adapted according to the lifestyle preferences of Chinese tourists. SuperStar Aquarius features 765 cabins of different categories, a host of dining, recreation and entertainment options complemented with a vibrant and friendly international crew of over 800. Earlier this year, the ship underwent a month-long, US$1.6 million refurbishment, adding a 360-degree 18-hole mini golf putting green / driving range and a new wine and cigar Lagoon Bar while enhancing its child care centre and video arcade, amongst other things.
Star Cruises brings with it the warm Asian hospitality that it is famous for. Our well-trained crew, consisting of various Asian nationalities, serves passengers with sincerity and affability. The new Sanya-Vietnam itineraries present another opportunity for Star Cruises to showcase its latest travel products and service-from-the-heart hospitality to passengers from around the world.
