GEORGE TOWN – Genting Cruise Lines will resume its services in Penang on December 22 with cruise ship Star Pisces having five departures from Penang.
The public can start booking from mid-December.
Cynthia Lee, vice-president for Genting Cruise Lines in Malaysia, said for starters, it will have five departures from Penang to Langkawi.
“We have a two-night ‘Langkawi Escape’ and 1-night ‘Straits of Malacca’ cruise itineraries for the locals to enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations,” Lee said.
She said from last July until now, the company has handled more than 350,000 passengers on the Taiwan-Singapore-Hong Kong trips without any Covid-19 incidents.
Genting Cruise Lines is the first international cruise company in the world to pioneer and successfully restart operations with its Dream Cruises.
“The Star Pisces will resume operation with a 50% capacity. It can accommodate 1,500 passengers, but we will take about 750 passengers each trip,” Lee told a media conference held at the Penang Port Commission (PPC) office at Swettenham Pier here today.
Also present was PPC chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng.
Lee said the cruise management will ensure that passengers strictly observe standard operating procedures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on cruise trips.
“We have contingency plans anyway in the event a cruise trip is discovered to have Covid-19 cases, as we have 14 cabins to isolate infected passengers.
“We are prepared for any eventuality and (will take) necessary actions to protect the safety of the passengers,” she added.
She also said restarting cruise operations will help re-energise the tourism industry and churn income for the country, which has been badly hit following border closures.
“With the approval from the National Security Council to restart domestic cruise operations, the cruise industry has been given a new lease of life.
“PPC believes the cruise packages offered by Star Cruises will motivate Malaysians to take a long-awaited holiday break.”
The two-night Langkawi trip costs RM399 per person, while the Straits of Malacca package, inclusive of meals and other onboard facilities, costs RM199. – The Vibes, December 4, 2021
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