By
Rebecca Gibson |
Asia-Pacific cruise operator Star Cruises’ SuperStar Aquarius made her inaugural visit to Puerto Princesa, located on the island of Palawan in the Philippines.
The call marked the first of the ship’s new series of three-night cruises from her Kota Kinabalu homeport in Sabah, Malaysia, to Puerto Princesa. In total, the ship will make 14 calls in the city between November and Marc 2015.
SuperStar Aquarius arrived in the city carrying passengers from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, who were welcomed by locals and a live cultural dance performance.
During an onboard welcome ceremony, Puerto Princesa’s mayor the Honourable Lucilo Bayron presented Michael Goh, senior vice president of sales at Star Cruises, with the key to the city. The event was also attended by the Honourable Jose Alvarez, Governor of Palawan also graced this special event onboard SuperStar Aquarius.
“On behalf of Star Cruises, we are proud to have Puerto Princesa as one of the new destinations for SuperStar Aquarius,” said Michael Goh, senior vice president of sales, Star Cruises. “During this deployment, SuperStar Aquarius will make 14 calls to Puerto Princesa, each time bringing in world travellers to this beautiful city. We are committed to promoting Puerto Princesa and the Palawan Island province to travellers across the region and the world.”
Known as the ‘city in a forest’, Puerto Princesa City offers various tourist attractions including the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre, the Flea Market, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm. In addition, guests can visit Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Guests can also head to Honda Bay, which consists of several islets including Starfish Island, Lu-li Island and Pandan Island.