Northstar

Jul-Aug 2017 41 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS • MCMAG-ASIA.COM Star Cruises SHIPS IN THE REGION: SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Libra, SuperStar Gemini, SuperStar Aquarius, Star Pisces, The Taipan. STANDOUT FEATURES: SuperStar Virgo features several Michelin- starred restaurants onboard including Kam's Kitchen, Ye Shanghai and most recently, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. Homeported in Penang, SuperStar Libra offers excursions to Krabi and Phuket, while SuperStar Gemini offers a versatile cruise schedule year round from Singapore. A cosier experience is offered onboard the mid-sized 1,500-guest SuperStar Aquarius, which features plenty of outdoor spaces including a basketball court, swimming pool and a promenade deck. ITINERARY UPDATES: From September 23 to December 31, SuperStar Libra will relaunch its popular 1-Night High Seas Cruise and 3-Nights Penang-Phuket-Krabi Cruise. Beginning December 17 to April 27, SuperStar Gemini will be based in Laem Chabang International Terminal with 3-night cruises to Sihanoukville and Ko Samui, while SuperStar Aquarius will continue its 2- to 4-night Okinawa itineraries from homeport Keelung, Taiwan till October 27. NEWS: Star Cruises will be enhancing its itineraries from Shanghai to Japan to meet international standards of 8-day, 7-night voyages. From July 6 to November 6, SuperStar Virgo will take in the city of Tokyo and Mount Fuji, in addition to Osaka and Kagoshima – just in time for the beautiful autumn foliage. Royal Caribbean International SHIPS IN THE REGION: Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas. STANDOUT FEATURES: Both Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas feature the iconic Royal Promenade, an ice-skating rink, full-sized sports court and DreamWorks Entertainment as well as signature restaurants Chops Grille steakhouse, Giovanni's Table Italian restaurant and Johnny Rockets. Ovation of the Seas, the largest in Asia, features the unique North Star elevated glass capsule, Seaplex, Bionic Bar with robotic bartenders, a skydiving simulator as well as Two70, a lounge by day and sophisticated entertainment venue by night boasting seamless video projection displays. ITINERARY UPDATES:Mariner of the Seas will be calling at Xiamen and Ho Chi Minh with an overnight in Hong Kong on September 1; it will also introduce 3 to 7-night South East Asia itineraries till April 2018. Voyager of the Seas will ply Phuket, Penang and Kuala Lumpur for 3 to 5-night cruises and return to Singapore for winter/spring next October. Ovation of the Seas will sail from Tianjin, Hong Kong and Sydney from now till next April with a 5-night cruise from Singapore to Penang and Phuket, and a 12-night one-way cruise from Singapore to Tianjin calling at Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong and Seoul in April. NEWS: Mariner of the Seas will swap with Voyager of the Seas in Singapore for winter/spring 2018/19. In addition, the cruise brand's first Quantum Ultra class ship will be based in Asia Pacific, and is set to launch in spring 2019. Norwegian Cruise Line SHIPS IN THE REGION: Norwegian Joy. STANDOUT FEATURES: The built-for-China cruise ship features a novel open-air two-storey Ferrari race track, the first virtual reality gaming experience at sea at Galaxy Pavilion, VIP accommodations including The Haven by Norwegian, the line's exclusive, ship-within- a-ship luxury suite complex, 28 different F&B outlets including authentic Chinese cuisine as well as a Mandarin-speaking crew to make guests feel at home. ITINERARY UPDATES:Starting August 22, Norwegian Cruise Line will be launching six sailings in Asia from Norwegian Joy's homeports of Shanghai and Tianjin to Japanese ports of call including Nagasaki, Kochi, Miyazaki and Kitakyushu. NEWS: The brand new ship was delivered in May in Germany and has embarked on her inaugural voyage from Shanghai in June.

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