Tuesday, June 25, 2013

SuperStar Virgo executive chef shares secret of non-stop gastronomic surprises with Channel U

Hong Kong / Singapore, 25 June, 2013 - Dining is a tantalizing part of the all-rounded,  non-stop leisure experience on Star Cruises ships. SuperStar Virgo's executive chef Reinhard  Mammes revealed his secret to Channel U on keeping passengers' taste buds excited.

Under the stewardship of chef Mammes, SuperStar Virgo's onboard restaurants are cranking up  surprise after surprise. In an interview with "World This Week" yesterday night, he recounted the  experience during his tenure with Star Cruises and the challenges he and his team faced while  cooking onboard the ship, serving with an average of 2,000 passengers and more than 1,000  crews daily.

Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific, invites travelers on an exploration trip to the  wonder world of flavours with more than 25 food outlets onboard SuperStar Virgo where guests  can enjoy all-day dining, led by Chef Mammes and his award-winning chefs team. Restaurants  on Superstar Virgo covers the best of cuisines from East and West, including Chinese,  Southeast Asian, Italian and international fusion.

For passengers who are always looking for new excitements, they will be pleasantly surprised by  SuperStar Virgo's immersive themes every month, such as Pirates @ Sea and Taste of Asia.  Special menus are designed to match these monthly themes that colour onboard activities,  turning every voyage into endless sprees of fun.

World This Week" is a weekly programme that highlights the queer and amusing happenings  around the world that broadcast on Singapore Chinese Channel Channel U, every Monday at  9.30pm.

On Star Cruises, every journey is a voyage of discovery and surprise.

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Star Cruises' SuperStar Virgo Explores Melaka, Malaysia's Charms from End to End


The historic city of Melaka (also spelled Malacca) has it all for the culture vultures: a rich history that can still be explored thanks to a great number of historical buildings still standing; cultural treasures; great eats (more here: Top Must-Try Malaysia Street Foods); and plenty of shopping.
Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific, now has Melaka in its list of destinations: the cruise line's SuperStar Virgo takes guests from Singapore on a 3D2N Malacca cruise, with the option to join shore excursions to visit a number of local attractions.
Heritage sites covered in the shore excursions include Porta de Santiago, one of the four main gates of the A'Famosa fortress and among the oldest European architectural wonders in Asia; the Stadthuys, a Dutch architectural masterpiece built around 1650; St Paul's Church, built by the Portuguese in 1521; and Hang Li Po's Well, built in 1459 under the royal command of Sultan Mansor Shah for his wife, the Chinese princess Hang Li Po.
Guests can also embark on a trishaw ride around the city, or visit the city's natural and cultural attractions: A Famosa Resort Animal World Safari, Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum, Cheng Ho Cultural Museum, Malacca Malay house, and Jonker Bird House, among others.
Food and shopping seekers in Melaka can head on over to Jonker Street, a former antique center now crammed with restaurants and crafts outlets. For hands-on experience, they can enroll in a Nyonya Cuisine Cooking Class created by Hotel Equatorial for Star Cruises guests. Finally, they can go shopping at Dataran Pahlawan, an one-stop shopping mall built within actual historical sites; and Tan Kim Hock, a local product center where passengers can purchase local cookies and candies, as well as popular products such asbelacan, curry powder and cincalok.
Golfers can get into the swing of things at the 18-hole Tiara Melaka Golf and Country Club, bordering the city and the surrounding forest.
For more details on Star Cruises' voyages to Melaka or other destinations in Southeast Asia, visit www.starcruises.com

Thursday, June 20, 2013

SuperStar Libra’s chefs clinch 14 medals and 13 diplomas at the Battle of the Chefs 2013

Hong Kong / Penang, 20 June, 2013 – Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific, is pleased to announce that the chefs from SuperStar Libra, currently home- ported in Penang,  were honored with 14 medals and 13 diplomas at the sizzling culinary battle, the Battle of the Chefs 2013, held from 12-14 June at Straits Quay Convention Centre, Penang, Malaysia.

Led by Executive Chef, Saifol Iskandar Ikhsan, the chef team from SuperStar Libra was awarded one gold, two silvers, 11 bronze medals and 13 diploma awards in the three-day event.

Mr. Pradeep Mohan, the 29-year-old 1st cook from SuperStar Libra, debuted at the Battle of the Chefs with a gold medal. He impressed the judges with his innovative and mouth-watering dishes including Brown Rice Chicken Briyani served with Onion Raita and Lijad Papad, Brown Rice Kofta with Makhani Sauce and Spinach Mashed Sweet Potato. 

Sous Chef Mr. Shah Irwan Omar, 33, snatched a silver medal under Practical cooking Seafood Category, with Symphony of Seafood Mousse Primura with shimeji mushroom and crustacean bisque. Another silver medal won by 20-year-old steward, Mr. Pande Komang Bayu with his innovative cocktail named “Spice Nojito” under Flair King Category.

Bronze medal winners include Mr. Shah Irwan Omar (Plated Dish Display), Mr. Muhammad Quzair (Practical Hot Cooking Beef / Lamb), Mr. Zulkifly Akhir (Practical Hot Cooking Poultry/Game), Mr. Nurul Amir (Practical Hot Cooking Poultry/Game), Mr. Bryan Tay Cheak Sin (Practical Hot Cooking Seafood), Mr. Zulkily Akhir (Practical Hot Cooking Seafood), Mr. Tahrim Minhad (Practical Hot Cooking Malay Traditional), Mr. Nurul Amir (Practical Hot Cooking Malay Traditional), Mr. Zulkifly Akhir (Practical Hot Cooking Char Keow Teow), Mr. Liu Xing (Practical Carving Fruits & Vegetable) and Mr. Miko (Flair King).

In addition, the SuperStar Libra’s chef team also collected 13 diplomas - Mr. Husni Hamidi (Practical Hot Cooking Malay Traditional, Practical Hot Cooking Seafood and Hot Cooking Poultry categories), Mr. Tahrim Minhad (Practical Hot Cooking Seafood and Hot Cooking Poultry categories), Mr. Cruben Pillay (Plated Dish Display and Flair King categories), Mr. Juraimi Mohd (Practical Hot Cooking Malay Traditional category), Mr. Shah Irwan Omar (Practical Hot Cooking Beef/Lamb category), Mr Algene Garcia (Bread Show Piece category) and Mr. Saiful Affandi and Mr. Sulla Ferdinand (Plated Dish Display category).

Mr. Cheng Foong Sim, Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations, Star Cruises said, “We are very proud of our chefs’ outstanding performance at the Battle of the Chefs. We will stay on course to nurture the growth of Asian culinary talents and provide opportunities for them to showcase their creativity to Star Cruises guests from around the world. Our award-winning chef team's culinary dedication and brilliance will continue to power Star Cruises’ various restaurants, which offer a wide range of cuisines from international to Southeast Asian.”

Organized by Chefs Association of Malaysia (Penang Chapter), the Battle of the Chefs 2013, is held once every two year to unearth new talents and provide a platform for Malaysian chefs to create and challenge others in showing heritage cuisine. The event was endorsed by World Association of Chefs Societies as a Continental Level Competition and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia and Penang State Government. It attracted 850 participants, of which 100 were from Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Ukraine and Slovenia, just to name a few, to vie for the highest accolades in 60 categories.

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Led by Executive Chef, Saifol Iskandar Ikhsan, the chef team from SuperStar Libra was awarded one gold, two silvers, 11 bronze medals and 13 diploma awards in the Battle of the Chefs 2013.


Mr. Pradeep Mohan, the 29-year-old 1st cook from SuperStar Libra, debuted at the Battle of the Chefs with a gold medal.  

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Experience Malacca’s unique cultural, heritage and cuisine marvels with SuperStar Virgo



Hong Kong / Singapore, 17 June, 2013
– Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific, is inviting travelers to explore Malacca, the historical state of Malaysia, rich in heritage buildings, ancient landmarks, multi-culture and colonial architecture with SuperStar Virgo.

Hailed as “Venice of the East”, the historic centre of Malacca has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008. It was the location where colonial forces first made contact with Malaysia, eventually shaping the state into its current unique communities and culture heritage today.

Guests onboard SuperStar Virgo on the 3D2N Malacca cruise departing from Singapore will have the options to join shore excursions to visit a number of Malacca attractions.

Heritage exploration
To explore cultural and heritage sites, guests may visit Porta de Santiago, one of the four main gates of the A Famosa fortress and among the oldest European architectural wonders in Asia; The Stadthuys, a piece of artistry built circa 1650; St Paul’s Church, known as “Our Lady of the Hill” and built by the Portuguese in 1521 and Hang Li Po’s Well, built in 1459 under the royal command of Sultan Mansor Shah for his wife, the Chinese princess Hang Li Po. The well is believed to be the only source of water supply during great droughts in days of old while today it draws visitors to it as a wishing well. 

Cultural marvels
Guests can also enjoy the beautiful sceneries of Malacca in trishaw ride; get close to the wilds at A Famosa Resort Animal World Safari; learn about local history and lifestyle by visiting Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and Cheng Ho Cultural Museum; understand the typical lifestyle of a rich Malaysian family in the early 20th century with visit to Malacca Malay house; check out the first and only walk-through exhibits 
of 300 years of heritage and history; shop for famous bird nest products at Jonker Bird House or get to know more rubber tree and palm oil plantations and see how sheet rubber is processed and fresh fruit bunches are harvested from oil palms. 

Local cuisines and shopping
On top of all these, guests can also enjoy popular Malacca’s Peranakan cuisine and many others local delicacies. They can go food-shopping at Jonker Street, once renowned for its antique shops, but has now turned into a street of restaurants with clothing and crafts outlets. They can also learn to cook like locals in Nyonya Cuisine Cooking Class, a special class created by Hotel Equatorial for Star Cruises guests 
and the hotel's own guests. Other shopping spots include Dataran Pahlawan, an one- stop shopping mall built within actual historical sites and Tan Kim Hock, a local product centre where passengers can purchase an array of local cookies andcandies as well as popular products such as belacan, curry powder and cincalok. 
For golfers, they can swing their putter at 18-hole Tiara Melaka Golf and Country Club, surrounded by the serene tropical forest.

For more details, please visit www.starcruises.com


Guests of SupeStar Virgo will have the chance to visit A Famosa, a Portuguese fortress located in Malacca, Malaysia, which is among the oldest surviving European  architectural remains in Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only remaining part of the fortress.


Guests of SupeStar Virgo can also go for trishaw ride and enjoy the beautiful sceneries of Malacca.


Friday, June 14, 2013

Star Cruises Announces Another New Homeport Deployment

SuperStar Aquarius to be homeported in Kota Kinabalu from Nov 2013
Calling at Brunei’s Bandar Seri Begawan and Sarawak’s Bintulu



Hong Kong / Kota Kinabalu, 14 June, 2013 – Star Cruises, the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific, is pleased to announce that the 51,309-tonnage SuperStar Aquarius will commence her seasonal homeport deployment from Kota Kinabalu, the city capital of Sabah, Malaysia, for the first time from 6 November 2013 to 30 March 2014.

Star Cruises will be the first international cruise line to homeport in Kota Kinabalu, continuing Star Cruises’ pioneering and leading position in Asia’s cruise industry.  

Edward Johann Leong, Vice President, East Malaysia Operations, Star Cruises, said, “Sabah has been a top tourist destination for decades. We are proud to be the first international cruise line to homeport in Kota Kinabalu, attracting not only domestic but also international guests to Sabah. We envision that this deployment will help build the cruise tourism industry in this part of Asia and boost local tourism economies.”

He added, “We will be offering 4D3N cruises from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei’s Bandar Seri Begawan and Sarawak’s Bintulu, departing every Sunday. We have come up with a number of exclusive shore excursions for guests to choose and explore local attractions. From Wednesday to Saturday, passengers can immerse in another dimension of cruise fun and entertainment on SuperStar Aquarius’ daily 1-night high sea experience.”

Once onboard, guests will be spoilt for choice with nonstop activities and entertainment. They will be wowed by world-class entertainment performed by a cast of European and Asian artistes and acrobats; and grand illusion shows by renowned magicians.  Their fun continues in a selection of onboard recreational activities and unique shore excursions that showcase the beauty and wonders of Borneo. Guests can also shop to their heart’s content onboard 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. For food lovers, SuperStar Aquarius’ 9 restaurants and bars, led by Executive Chef Harold Mark, present an appealing array of mouth-watering international, Southeast Asia and Chinese cuisines. After a full day of non-stop fun, guests can unwind and relax with a choice of over 30 types of well-being and health treatments at the spa.

SuperStar Aquarius, currently homeported in Keelung, Taiwan, will embark on a special 8D7N cruise, departing from Kaohsiung on 29 October 2013 with stops at Hong Kong, Manila, Boracay and arriving in Kota Kinabalu on 6 November 2013.

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Star Cruises’ 51,309-tonnage SuperStar Aquarius will commence homeport deployment from Kota Kinabalu from 6 November to 30 March 2014.
About Genting Hong Kong Limited (“Genting Hong Kong”)
Genting Hong Kong Limited is a leading global leisure, entertainment and hospitality corporation. A primary business activity of the company is cruise and cruise related operations under the brands of Star Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line. Star Cruises, together with Norwegian Cruise Line, is the third largest cruise operator in the world that owns a combined fleet of 19 ships visiting over 200 destinations in the world, offering approximately 39,000 lower berths.
Genting Hong Kong’s first foray in a land-based attraction, Resorts World Manila, opened its doors to the public in August 2009. Resorts World Manila is one of the premier leisure brands under the Genting Group and the Philippines’ first one-stop, nonstop vacation spot for topnotch entertainment and world-class leisure alternatives, featuring 3 hotels including a six star all-suite Maxims Hotel, an iconic shopping mall, 4 high-end cinemas and a multi-purpose performing arts theatre.
For more information, please visit Genting Hong Kong website http://www.gentinghk.com.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Resorts World Manila entertains Hong Kong with “The CompanY”

Hong Kong, 11 June, 2013 – Resorts World Manila, the Philippines’ premier one-stop, nonstop tourism and entertainment destination, has brought the Philippine household-name vocal harmony group, The CompanY, to entertain over 10,000 spectators with their superb vocals, high-energy and up-tempo performance at Chater Road on Sunday (9 June).

The event was co-organized by the Philippine Association of Hong Kong and Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong in celebration of the 115th Philippine Independence Day.

The CompanY, consisting of Sweet Plantado (soprano), Annie Quintos (soprano/alto), Cecile Bautista (alto), Jay Marquez (tenor) and Moy Ortiz (tenor2/bass), also performed at the Philippine Association of Hong Kong Annual Charity Ball (8 June).

Before performing in Hong Kong, The CompanY has brought their vocal magic to the guests of Resorts World Manila at Grand Fiesta Manila Gala Night and New Year’s Celebration last year. Their musicality extends into almost all forms of vocal harmony genres, including traditional/classical choral music, pop, mainstream jazz, smooth jazz, dance, R&B and contemporary acappella.

The CompanY’s performance in Hong Kong was part of the ongoing initiatives of Genting Hong Kong and Resorts World Manila to showcase Asian talent around the region and to create a music platform that will transcend different cultures. Over the same weekend, Resorts World Manila staged Malaysian powerhouse singer / songwriter’s “Come Back to You” concert with accompaniment from seasoned musicians from Beijing, Taiwan and Hong Kong; and the 30-piece Manila Philharmonic Orchestra.



Vote For Star Cruises As Asia’s Leading Cruise Line


Vote for Star Cruises as Asia’s Leading Cruise Line in the annual World Travel Awards.

50% SuperStar Gemini Sale on Starcruises.com | 15-16 June



Exciting Shanghai + the Best of South Korea onboard SuperStar Gemini. Watch out for this Exclusive ONLINE Deal on 15-16 June 2013 (12MN, GMT+8) at http://bit.ly/16OVgki

Please take note of the following details:

·         5D4N Shanghai-Korea-Shanghai onboard SuperStar Gemini
·         Sail dates: Sept 14, 23, and 27 2013
·         50% Off on MSP for ALL PAX (minimum of 2 per booking)
·         Exclusive for www.starcruises.com online booking
·         Booking period: June 15, 2013: 12MN – 12NN

Friday, June 7, 2013

Cinderella, coming this October to Resorts World Manila

We are pleased to share with you the next Broadway attraction, Cinderella, coming this October 10 until December 30, 2013, at the New Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila.


Show Schedules:
Thursday TBA
Friday 8PM
Saturday 2PM & 7PM
Sunday 2PM

Discount Schemes:
Full Blocking Discount - 20% off on tickets (Minimum of 1,500 tickets)

Half-Blocking - 20% off on tickets (Minimum of 750 tickets)

Travel Agent/Tour Operator Discount for non-school tour groups - 20% off on tickets (Minimum of 30 tickets)

Travel Agent/Tour Operator Discount for non-school tour groups - 15% off on tickets (Minimum of 2-29 tickets)




Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Star Cruises Destination: Busan, Korea


Busan is one of Korea’s largest port cities filled with endless excitement and pleasant surprises. The city annually hosts the Busan International Film Festival, with various styles of regular events held at Centrum City, the world’s largest department store.

Click here for details - http://bit.ly/11GIhNt

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Winners of the 3D/2N cruise for 2 on SuperStar Virgo!



Congratulations to the winners of a 3D/2N cruise for 2 on SuperStar Virgo! 

1) Patrick Han (Malaysia)
2) Trixie Mae Moran (Philippines) 
3) Aby Teo (Malaysia)

Kindly wait for an email from us within this week regarding the details of your cruise prize.

Thank you to all who joined! Watch out for more exciting promos and contests brought to you by Star Cruises!