Star Cruises, founded as an associate of the Genting Group of Malaysia, is using funds obtained from the recent sale of a 50percent stake in its North American arm, Norwegian Cruise Line, to United States-based investment firm Apollo Management, for US$1 billion will concentrate on its Asian operations, and in the longer run some time between the year 2008 and the year 2012, plans to bring two ships that are Norwegian Dream and Norwegian Majesty from its NCL fleet to Asia to meet growing passenger demand in the region, said David Chua Ming-huat, president of Star Cruises, which is run by Malaysia’s Genting Group on August 19, 2007.
Star Cruises is poised to go big in the Greater China region in expectation of a surge in cruise travel, fueled by a robust economy and the immense market potential arising from next year’s Beijing Olympics. The President highlighted the “rosy prospects” of the cruise industry in the Greater China region created by imminent direct links of mail, trade and air and shipping services between the mainland and Taiwan, saying he was optimistic there would be an increase in the number of cruise passengers across the strait.
As part of its marketing campaign, Star Cruises, which has moved the center of its management from Malaysia and Singapore to Hong Kong in recent years, will put one of its ships into service – sailing from Taiwan to Xiamen in November. David Chua Ming-huat told The Standard the company has signed a cooperation agreement with a business partner, which he declined to name, to develop concepts brought about by next year’s Olympics Games. Details of the project have yet to be announced. He also described Star Cruises’ expansion in the Greater China region as a strategic move taken in view of Hong Kong’s strength as an international financial center.
Star Cruises is the third-largest cruise line in the world behind Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean, and dominates the Asia-Pacific market. It also owns the Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, Orient Lines and Cruise Ferries brands with a total combined fleet of 22 ships and over 35,000 berths. Star Cruises is credited for almost single handedly developing the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Its services cater to Asian passengers as well to North Americans, Europeans and Australians interested in Asian destinations
Star Cruises was founded as an associate of the Genting Group of Malaysia, incorporated in Bermuda on 10 November 1993 with its corporate headquarters in Hong Kong. In the year 200, Star Cruises acquired Norwegian Cruise Line ( including its subsidiaries Orient Lines and Norwegian Capricorn Line) and became the first global cruise line.In 2001, Star Cruises founded a new daughter company Cruise Ferries which began operating one ship, Wasa Queen, on short cruises from Hong Kong to Xiamen
With the operations of Norwegian Cruise Line having proven more profitable than those of Star Cruises itself, since 2006 the trend has been that new ships are built for NCL, and the old ships they replace are then transferred to the Star Cruises fleet in Asia.
