Star Cruises ship to sail two short itineraries from Chinese port until 1 November 2015
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Star Cruises’ SuperStar Libra arrived in her new homeport in Xiamen, China, on 24 July.
SuperStar Libra’s arrival was marked by a welcome ceremony attended by government officials and representatives from the city of Xiamen, Xiamen Port Holding Group, the Xiamen Municipal Tourism Bureau, Taiwan Visitors Association and the Penghu Municipal County. The ceremony included a traditional lion dance, a performance by SuperStar Libra’s dancers and a presentation by the ship’s award-winning chefs.
The ship will be based at the port until 1 November, making it Xiamen’s longest-ever homeporting contract with a cruise operator. Guests will be able to depart Xiamen on Friday evenings for a three-day cruise to Penghu in Taiwan, or opt for a six-day cruise to Miyakojima and Naha in Okinawa, Japan.
“In response to the Fujian government’s plan to grow the city as a major cruise destination, Star Cruises is looking forward to its homeport in Xiamen for the next three months,” said Ang Moo Lim, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Hotels at Genting Hong Kong. “China is an important market for us in the region and we have regularly visited Xiamen in the past for short-term homeports with SuperStar Gemini in 2013 and SuperStar Virgo in 2014 and 2015. With cruising gaining in popularity in the country, the long-term deployment of SuperStar Libra in Xiamen will facilitate cross-strait cruises to enhance cultural exchange and boost tourism development in the region.”
Since 1996, several ships in Star Cruises’ fleet – such as Star Pisces, SuperStar Leo and SuperStar Aquarius – have made more than 400 calls to Xiamen, bringing more than 500,000 visitors to the city.