GEORGE TOWN – A Penang Port Sdn Bhd spokesman has confirmed reports that Star Cruises’ SuperStar Aquarius, SuperStar Gemini and Star Pisces will be headed to the scrapyards in Alang, India.
He told The Vibes that the fourth vessel known as Taipan is moored here for now although it is uncertain what Star Cruises intends to do with the smallest ship in its fleet.
“Steel parts are able to fetch good value based on current market prices, so it made sense for the ships to be recycled.”
He added that the closure of Star Cruises will leave a vacuum in the cruise business here but if Royal Caribbean Cruise Line steps up, it can be the new dominant company.
Cruise Industry News earlier quoted sources as saying that the three cruise liners would be sold for scrap.
The SuperStar Gemini in 1992 was launched as the Dreamward for Norwegian Cruise Line, and lengthened in 1998 at Lloyd Werft in Germany. It joined the Star Cruises fleet in 2012.
The SuperStar Aquarius was launched as Windward in 1993. She was also lengthened in 1998, and moved under Star Cruises in 2007. The Star Pisces was built as the Kalypso for Baltic Sea ferry service and was a Star Cruises vessel in 1994.
Several attempts to contact Star Cruises’ offices here and in the Klang Valley went unanswered.
V.Ships Leisure by April took over five cruise liners from Genting Hong Kong – World Dream, Genting Dream, Crystal Serenity, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Endeavor – while a Turkish ship recycler reportedly bought the 1988-built SuperStar Libra in March.
Star Cruises’ parent company Genting Hong Kong filed for liquidation in Bermuda in January following a more than 50% plunge in shares and losing a US$88 million (RM381 million) suit against German state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Earlier, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had taken Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz to task, demanding the latter explain why loans amounting to RM2.51 billion were granted to the now-insolvent Genting HK.
This comes on the heels of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay’s resignation from the Genting HK chairman and chief executive officer posts, days after the company filed for liquidation of its cruise line.
Star Cruises was headquartered in Hong Kong and operated in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia since 1993. It was the 18th largest cruise operator in the world and before 2020, there were plans to expand the fleet. – The Vibes, May 5, 2022
