A huge cruise operator is launching routes to four new destinations this year. StarCruises is jumping on the trend of school holiday cruises, with new trips in southeast Asia.
The cruise line will operate two, three, and five-night cruises from Singpore and Kuala Lumpur between May 22 and June 26. They will be going to new island destinations Con Son, Tioman, Benoa, and Lombok using the Star Voyager ship, which was previously the Pacific Explorer for P&O Cruises. Con Son is the largest island in the Con Dao archipelago off of Vietnam, Tioman is off the east coast of Malaysia, Benoa is a 4km peninsula in southern Bali, and Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali. Bookings for the school holiday sailings open on February 23. StarCruises already goes to destinations across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The operator relaunched last year after collapsing in bankruptcy in 2022. It had been in operation for over 30 years and is credited with pioneering modern cruising in Asia.
A regrowth plan saw the company rebrand away from Resorts World Cruises back to its original names and acquire three ships. One of these ships had a refitting that cost £37 million.
Michael Goh, president of StarCruises and Dream Cruises, said: “We are thrilled and honored to return to our roots with the launch of the revitalized StarCruises and Dream Cruises brands, offering an enhanced cruising experience.
“To celebrate this milestone, we are also excited to introduce the Star Voyager, as she embarks on her maiden voyage from Singapore, exploring the wonders of Southeast Asia.
“Our itineraries are colourful, diverse and appealing, and go beyond the beaten track. What makes Star Cruises and Dream Cruises different is that we localise our operations while maintaining an international atmosphere.”
The company is reportedly looking to promote its Asian cruises in the Middle East, as they are of growing interest to Gulf travellers seeking short-haul fly-cruise options.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
