Star Cruises
Encyclopedia
Genting Hong Kong
Genting Hong Kong is a holding company that operates cruise and resort businesses. Its cruise business is branded Star Cruises and was established in 1993.-Cruise:Genting Hong Kong owns 50 per cent of Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line...
, is the sixth largest cruise line
Cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain,...
in the world behind companies such as Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a Norwegian / American company based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & PLC. As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd...
. Star Cruises dominates the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
market and is owned by Genting Hong Kong
Genting Hong Kong
Genting Hong Kong is a holding company that operates cruise and resort businesses. Its cruise business is branded Star Cruises and was established in 1993.-Cruise:Genting Hong Kong owns 50 per cent of Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line...
who also owns 50 % of the Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
, NCL America, and 100 % of Cruise Ferries brands with a total combined fleet of 22 ships and over 35,000 berths. The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
and the Singapore Exchange
Singapore Exchange
Singapore Exchange Limited is an investment holding company located in Singapore and providing different services related to securities and derivatives trading and others. SGX is a member of the World Federation of Exchanges and the Asian and Oceanian Stock Exchanges FederationSingapore Exchange...
.
Star Cruises is credited with almost single handedly developing the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Its foray into the global shipping market has allowed it to tap into lucrative and more mature markets in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Its services cater to Asian passengers as well as to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
ns, European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
s and Australians interested in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n destinations.
The chairman of Star Cruises is Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, the son of the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, the founder of Malaysia's Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands otherwise known as Resorts World Genting is the flagship integrated resort developed by Genting Group. It is nestled on a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia...
.
History
Star Cruises was founded as an associate of the Genting GroupGenting Group
Genting Group is an Asian conglomerate. It comprises four listed entities Genting Group is an Asian conglomerate. It comprises four listed entities Genting Group is an Asian conglomerate. It comprises four listed entities (namely holding company Genting Berhad (MYX:3182) and its member companies...
of Malaysia, incorporated in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
on 10 November 1993 with its corporate headquarters in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The company's first ships were two cruiseferries
Cruiseferry
A cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...
acquired from the bankrupted estate of Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Rederi AB Slite
Rederi AB Slite
Rederi AB Slite was a Swedish shipping company, founded in 1947. The company was one of the three founding companies of Viking Line. Rederi AB Slite went bankrupt in 1993.-Early History:...
. In the following years, the company purchased several other used ships. In 1998, Star Cruises took delivery of its first new build, SuperStar Leo
Superstar Leo
Superstar Leo is an Irish-bred, British-trained retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and successful broodmare. She was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the Cartier Racing Awards and was the highest-rated two-year-old filly in the International Classification for 2000. In her...
, followed by sister ship SuperStar Virgo
SuperStar Virgo
SuperStar Virgo is a Leo class cruise ship owned and operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1999 by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.-Concept and construction:...
in 1999. Star Cruises also acquired Sun Cruises the same year.
In 2000, Star Cruises fully acquired Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
, including its subsidiaries Orient Lines
Orient Lines
Orient Lines was a cruise line specialising in exotic destinations that was in operation 1993—2008. The brand was founded in 1993 by Gerry Herrod, who had previously owned Ocean Cruise Lines. Orient Lines was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line in 1998, and ceased operations in March 2008.The brand was...
and Norwegian Capricorn Line
Norwegian Capricorn Line
The Norwegian Capricorn Line was a cruise line and was founded by some of Australia's foremost cruise professionals, in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line...
, becoming the first global cruise line in the world. Norwegian Capricon Line operations were soon merged into those of Star Cruises'. Before the purchase of NCL, Star Cruises had several other new builds either planned or already under construction, but with the merger of the two companies, most of the constructed builds joined the NCL fleet instead of Star Cruise's.
In 2001, Star Cruises founded a new sister company, Cruise Ferries, which began operating its sole ship, Wasa Queen
MS Wasa Queen
MS Arberia is a cruiseferry owned by Chryses Finance Co. and operated by Ilion Lines on their Trieste–Durres–Bari -service. She was built in 1975 by Dubegion-Normandie S.A., Nantes, France for Steamship Company Bore, Finland as MS Bore Star for Steamship Company Bore who used her in Silja Line...
, on short cruises from Hong Kong to Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
followed by overnight gambling cruises from Hong Kong and gambling cruises from Port Klang in Kuala Lumpur. Wasa Queen ceased to function and was sold to another company in 2007.
In 2004, SuperStar Leo, Star Cruises' then-largest ship, was transfered to NCL to take over Norwegian Sky cruises as she had to be rushed into service under NCL America brand due to the Pride of America
Pride of America
MS Pride of America is a cruise ship partly built in the United States, now a member of the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. Inaugurated during the 2005-2006 cruise season, she is the first new U.S...
not being ready on time due to sinking at Lloyd Werft
Lloyd Werft
Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven, established in 1857 by Norddeutscher Lloyd. The yard employs 500 workers in an area of 260. 000 m². Ships with a draught down to 11,5 m can be accommodated.-External links:* website...
shipyard. Since 2006, the trend has been that new ships were to be built for NCL, and the old ships in the NCL fleet would be transferred to the Star Cruises fleet in Asia.
In early 2008, both NCL America and Orient Lines brands were discontinued, with the latter's sole ship, MS Marco Polo
MS Marco Polo
MS Marco Polo is a cruise ship owned by Global Maritime, under charter to UK-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages, having been previously operated by Transocean Tours, Germany. She was built in 1965 by Mathias-Thesen Werft, East Germany as MS Alexandr Pushkin for the Soviet Union's Baltic Shipping Company...
, sold to Greek interests. Also in that year, the first ship from NCL was transferred to the Star Cruises fleet as SuperStar Libra
SuperStar Libra
SuperStar Libra is a cruise ship owned and operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1988 by Wärtsilä Turku New Shipyard in Turku, Finland as Seaward for Norwegian Cruise Line. In 1997 she was renamed Norwegian Sea, remaining in NCL fleet...
.
Starting from 2011, Star Cruises ships will receive a new hullart, Star Pisces and SuperStar Aquarius has received a new hullart.
Fleet
Current fleet
- SuperStar VirgoSuperStar VirgoSuperStar Virgo is a Leo class cruise ship owned and operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1999 by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.-Concept and construction:...
- SuperStar AquariusSuperStar AquariusMS SuperStar Aquarius is a cruise ship owned and operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1993 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France for Kloster Cruise as MS Windward. In 1998 she was lengthened at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany and renamed MS Norwegian Wind...
- SuperStar LibraSuperStar LibraSuperStar Libra is a cruise ship owned and operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1988 by Wärtsilä Turku New Shipyard in Turku, Finland as Seaward for Norwegian Cruise Line. In 1997 she was renamed Norwegian Sea, remaining in NCL fleet...
- Star PiscesStar PiscesMS Star Pisces is a cruise ship, owned by Star Cruises and up until recently did short cruises from Hong Kong after she was laid up. She was originally built as the cruiseferry MS Kalypso in 1990 by Masa-Yards, Turku, Finland for Rederi AB Slite for use in Viking Line traffic...
Previous ships
- Star Aquarius, also known as Langkapuri Star Aquarius (1993–2001) – Now Pearl of Scandinavia for DFDSDFDSDFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede...
. - SuperStar GeminiSuperStar GeminiMS Gemini is a cruise ship operated by Quail Travel Group. She was built in 1992 by Union Navale de Levante, Valencia, Spain for Crown Cruise Line as Crown Jewel. She has also sailed under the name Cunard Crown Jewel...
(1995–2008) – Now Gemini for Quail Cruises. - SuperStar Capricorn (1997–1998, 2001–2004) – Now Boudicca for Fred. Olsen Cruise LinesFred. Olsen Cruise LinesFred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a UK based, Norwegian-owned cruise shipping line with four cruise ships. The company headquarters are in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom and is owned by Bonheur and Ganger Rolf. The company is part of the Fred...
. - SuperStar SagittariusSuperStar SagittariusThe MS Superstar Sagittarius is a cruise ship formerly owned by Star Cruises but is now handled by Kong Way. Her new name is Omar III. She was built at Wartsila Helsinki shipyard in Finland. She was owned by Star Cruises from 1999 to 2005. She was transferred to Kong Way in year 2006, with her new...
(1998) – Now Long Jie for Asian Cruise. - SuperStar LeoSuperstar LeoSuperstar Leo is an Irish-bred, British-trained retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse and successful broodmare. She was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the Cartier Racing Awards and was the highest-rated two-year-old filly in the International Classification for 2000. In her...
(1998–2004) – Transferred to Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
as Norwegian Spirit. - SuperStar Europe (1999–2000), SuperStar Aries (2000–2004) – Now Bleu de France for CDF Croisières de FranceCDF Croisières de FranceCDF Croisières de France is a France-based, Norwegian-American-owned cruise line which caters to the French cruise market, with French as the only language used onboard their ships. CDF will offer cruises on the Mediterranean and the Caribbean....
. - SuperStar Taurus (2000–2001) – Now Cristal for Louis Cruise LinesLouis Cruise LinesLouis Cruises is a Cyprus-based cruise line that operates cruises from Cyprus, France, Italy, India and Greece . The company also charters several ships to Thomson Cruises...
. - MegaStar Sagittarius (2000–2001) – Now Spirit of Oceanus for Cruise WestCruise WestCruise West was an independent, destination focused small-ship cruise operator based in Seattle, Washington, USA. The line was the largest operator of U.S. flagged cruise vessels with nine currently operating. They were best known for their Alaska cruises but their reach includes destinations...
. - MegaStar Capricorn (2000) – Now Hebridean Spirit for Hebridean Island Cruise.
- MegaStar Aries – Charter ship.
- MegaStar Taurus – Charter ship.