SuperStar Virgo recently arrived at Kaohsiung on the first call of its Hong Kong deployment this year, with more than 1,600 passengers from Hong Kong, China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.
To celebrate this landmark deployment, Michael Goh, Senior Vice President of Sales, Star Cruises and Blondel So, COO, Genting Hong Kong along with heads and representatives of tourism bureau and tourism boards across the region including Philip Yung JP, Commissioner for Tourism, Hong Kong Tourism Commission; Anthony Lau, Executive Director, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), Wayne Liu, Deputy Director General, Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) and Lee Yung Te, Deputy Mayor, Kaohsiung were present to welcome the vessel.
The 75,338-tonne 13-deck SuperStar Virgo carries up to 2,500 passengers in its 935 cabins and 1,870 lower berths. During the six-month deployment, it will offer weekly 4D/3N cruises from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung and Taichung, 4D/3N cruises to Sanya and Halong Bay and 1-night high seas cruises to South China Sea. Once a month, passengers can visit Taiwan’s three biggest cities—Taipei (Keelung), Kaohsiung and Taichung—on a 7D/6N itinerary.
Speaking on this occasion, So shared that the first Star Cruises voyage from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung dates back 20 years. “From April to October, SuperStar Virgo will be offering 28 cruises from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung, bringing approximately 50,000 international visitors to the city, further boosting the economy of Taiwan.”
Sharing his expectations, Goh informed that Star Cruises expects an increase in the number of tourists from India, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Australia, as well as from Southeast Asia. “This deployment serves as a lead up to the two 150,000-tonne mega cruise ships we have recently commissioned to build for the Asian market. It will pave the way for their respective deliveries in 2016 and 2017.”
In March this year, HKTB and TTB jointly launched the Asia Cruise Fund to encourage cruise lines to increase ship deployments to Hong Kong and Taiwan. The HKTB was pleased to see the return of SuperStar Virgo to Hong Kong after six years. With demand for cruise travel on the rise, Hong Kong has been aggressively fostering partnerships with other ports in the region and international cruise lines to tap the potential of the Asian cruise market, said Lau.
“We have already invited other Asian ports to join this co-op fund to increase the overall appeal of cruise travel in Asia. The Board is also dedicated to developing our target source markets, including more mature markets like the US and the UK, and short-haul markets which promise high potential, such as South China, India and Southeast Asia. We are confident that with the support of cruise lines and other ports in the region, we will be able to step up the development of cruise tourism in Asia and turn Hong Kong into the region’s cruise hub,” Lau added.
Agreeing with Lau, Liu said, “We hope Star Cruises will continue to take advantage of the initiative by the TTB and HKTB to enhance the exposure, raise the capacity and give a further boost to the Asian cruise industry as a whole.” The 28 Hong Kong/Taiwan itineraries planned for SuperStar Virgo’s Hong Kong deployment will be beneficial for attracting foreign visitors, he added.
“As a cruising market India has grown leaps and bounds. India is an important market for Star Cruises and is one of the biggest contributors to the business. Travel patterns have changed, Indian travellers want to spend lavishly and understand the need for quality services. Today we sell more of three night cruises than two-night ones and more of balcony cabins than inside cabins. With the new Hong Kong route and new destinations we expect a rise in Indian footfall. This evolution has not been sudden but gradual over the years. Moving forward, I foresee a growth of 35 – 50 per cent in our business. We will continue to focus on leisure, honeymoon and families but we will also push a lot of MICE and group activities on-board the ship. Besides that we are targeting weddings at sea.” – Naresh Rawal, Vice President – Sales, Star Cruises
What’s new?
SuperStar recently underwent a lavish makeover with upgraded cabins, retail, hotel, dining, and recreational facilities. To give cruisers the leisurely shopping experience, the total retail floor area of SuperStar Virgo has tripled to 562 square meters.
The expansion and addition of duty-free operator China Duty Free, jewelry and watch specialist Canopus, luxury leather goods retailer Milan Station and souvenir shop Ports O’ Call will offer passengers even more choices of perfume, cosmetics, fashion accessories, luxury and lifestyle products from around the world.
The SuperStar Virgo offers an extensive array of on- board entertainment, leisure, shopping, F&B offerings and renowned Asian style hospitality. SuperStar Virgo is complete with 11 award-winning F&B outlets, a world-class theatre showing acclaimed production shows every day, lounges, karaoke, swimming pools with a mega waterslide, Jacuzzis, a video arcade, a fitness centre, a beauty salon, a business centre and many more leisure, entertainment, wellness and MICE amenities.
