Star Cruises

Star Cruises

Type	Public company SEHK: 678 SGX: S21
Industry	Passenger transportation
Founded	1993
Headquarters	Hong Kong, Asia
Key people	Tan Lim Kok Thay, CEO
Website	StarCruises.com

Star Cruises' largest ship, SuperStar Virgo, lying at anchor near Phuket, Thailand

Star Cruises, a member of Genting Hong Kong, is the third largest^[1] cruise line in the world after Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Star Cruises dominates the Asia-Pacific market and is owned by Genting Hong Kong, who also owns 28% of the Norwegian Cruise Line.^[2] The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Singapore 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 and Europe. Its services cater to Asian passengers as well as to North Americans, Europeans and Australians interested in Asian 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.

History

SuperStar Libra in Keelung Harbor, Taiwan

Star Cruises was founded as an associate of the Genting Group of Malaysia,^[3] incorporated in Bermuda on 10 November 1993 with its corporate headquarters in Hong Kong.^[4] The company's first ships were two cruiseferries acquired from the bankrupted estate of Swedish Rederi AB Slite. In the following years, the company purchased several other used ships. In 1998, Star Cruises took delivery of its first new build, SuperStar Leo, followed by sister ship SuperStar Virgo in 1999. Star Cruises also acquired Sun Cruises the same year.

In 2000, Star Cruises fully acquired Norwegian Cruise Line, including its subsidiaries Orient Lines and Norwegian Capricorn Line, becoming the largest global cruise line in the world. Norwegian Capricorn 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 Cruises'.

In 2001, Star Cruises founded a new sister company, Cruise Ferries, which began operating its sole ship, Wasa Queen, on short cruises from Hong Kong to Xiamen 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 transferred 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 not being ready on time due to sinking at Lloyd Werft 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, sold to Greek interests. Also in that year, the first ship from NCL was transferred to the Star Cruises fleet as SuperStar Libra.

Starting from 2011, Star Cruises received a new hullart. SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Aquarius and Star Pisces have received their new hullart.

It was announced on 27 April 2012 that the Norwegian Dream will join the Star fleet, she will be named as SuperStar Gemini and will start service in 2012.^[5]

On 7 October 2013, Star Cruises announced that Star Cruises and their parent company, Genting Hong Kong, have entered into an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard for the construction of one new cruise ship for Star. The vessel will have capacity for 3,364 passengers at double occupancy.^[6] The ship will be delivered sometime in Fall 2016.

Star Cruises announced on 10 February 2014, that a second ship was ordered and will be delivered by Fall 2017. Both ships will 150,000 GT.^[7] On 9 February 2015, the first steel cutting ceremony for Genting World was held at Meyer Werft shipyard.^[8]

Fleet

Current fleet

Ship	Year built	Class	Entered service with Star Cruises	Last Refurbishment	Gross Tonnage	Current Home Port	Notes	Image
Star Pisces	1990	Pisces Class	1994–present	2011	40,012 tons	Hong Kong – Present	Previously Kalypso
SuperStar Virgo	1999	Leo Class	1999–present	2012	75,338 tons	Guangzhou, Nansha – Present	Sister to the Norwegian Spirit, Star Cruises first newly built at the time.
SuperStar Libra	1988	Libra Class	2005–present	2013	42,275 tons	Haikou, China– Present	Previously Norwegian Sea
SuperStar Aquarius	1993	Dreamward Class	2007–present	2016	51,309 tons	Taiwan – Present	Previously Norwegian Wind
SuperStar Gemini	1992	Dreamward Class	2012–present	2012	50,764 tons	Singapore – Present	Previously Norwegian Dream
The Taipan	1989	Taipan Class	1999–present	2013	3,370 tons		Previously MegaStar Aries (1999–2013)

Former ships

Ship	Built	In service for Star Cruises	Gross Tonnage	Status as of 2016	Image
Genting World	2016	Never entered service	151,300 GT	Transferred to Dream Cruises as Genting Dream.	N/A
World Dream	2017	Never entered service	151,300 GT	Transferred to Dream Cruises as World Dream.	N/A
SuperStar Leo	1998	1998–2004	75,338 GT	Transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line as Norwegian Spirit.
Langkapuri Star Aquarius	1988	1993–2001	40,012 GT	Now Pearl Seaways for DFDS.
SuperStar Gemini	1992	1995–2009	19,093 GT	Now Gemini but is currently laid up.
SuperStar Capricorn	1973	1997–1998 2001–2004	21,891 GT	Now Boudicca for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
SuperStar Sagittarius	1972	1998	16,607 GT	Now known as Oriental Dragon.
SuperStar Europe SuperStar Aries	1980	1998–2004 SuperStar Europe – (1999–2000) SuperStar Aries – (2000–2004)	37,301 GT	Now Saga Sapphire for Saga Cruises.
SuperStar Taurus	1980	2000–2001	15,179 GT	Now Celestyal Crystal for Celestyal Cruises.
SuperStar Libra	2001	Never entered service	91,740 GT	Now Norwegian Star for Norwegian Cruise Line.
SuperStar Scorpio	2002	Never entered service	92,250 GT	Now Norwegian Dawn for Norwegian Cruise Line.
MegaStar Sagittarius	2000	1988–1997 2000–2001	4,200 GT	Now Spirit of Oceanus for Cruise West.	N/A
MegaStar Capricorn	1991	2000	4,280 GT	Now Hebridean Spirit for Hebridean Island Cruise.	N/A
MegaStar Taurus	1989	2008-2015	3,341 GT	Transferred to Crystal Cruises as Crystal Esprit.	N/A

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Star Cruises.

• Official website
• 360° Interactive Virtual Tour of a Star Cruises ship