Starting March 19 this year, Star Cruises will offer Filipinos the many advantages of cruising to Filipinos through a homeporting arrangement that will make them use Manila’s Pier 15 (at the back of Manila Hotel) as starting point in their three-country, three-city round trip cruises.
A total of 17 cruises from March 19 (last cruise date is May 20) by SuperStar Virgo is in store for Filipinos. Each cruise will go to Laoag via Currimao port, Kaohsiung in Taiwan, and Star Ferry port in Hong Kong and back to Manila with an average 8 to 10 hour-stay to enjoy each destination before embarking on the next.
In the media launch, Star Cruises Pte Ltd Senior Vice-President of Sales Michael Go and Assistant Vice-President Andrea Manzano enumerated the following advantages:
- visa-free in Hong Kong and Taiwan
- less hassle in packing and unpacking as the cruise ship serves as the hotel
- up to 6 complimentary meals (choice of Chinese, Asian, and Western) from breakfast to supper in three buffet restaurants ( no charge) and options on 8 bars and restaurants (with charge)
- nightly lounge and theater entertainment
- a variety of activities and games while onboard
- gym, jogging track, library, basketball court, swimming pool with tube slide
- 2 floors of luxury retail shopping at duty-free prices
Star Cruises president Ang Moo Lim maintains that SuperStar Virgo is a destination by itself and is confident that its Filipino staff, which forms one-third of the ship’s crew will also enjoy their visit to their home country.
“We hope that the meaningful arrangement with Star Cruises and the people of the Philippines and success of this initial homeporting will open other ports and destinations of the Philippines in the future. We are confident that only Star Cruises can do this and we thank the PDOT, without their help it will not be possible so we work closely with them because we want to come back year after year. “
Photo shows Ang Moo Lim, President of Star Cruises (2nd from left) and Senior Vice President Michael Goh (2nd from right) and Assistant Vice President for Sales Andrea Solis Manzano (extreme right) are joined by Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary for Tourism Development Planning Maria Lourdes Japson (center) and DOT Director Ma. Corazon Jorda-Apo (extreme left) at the launching of SuperStar Virgo – the first cruise to homeport in Manila for Filipinos to cruise to Taiwan and Hong Kong – at Resorts World Manila last January 13, 2016. Photo by Ben Briones, PNA