SuperStar Aquarius here to explore best of Brunei
Minister of Industry and Primary Resources in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Inaugural Cruise ceremo-ny with the Vice President of East Malaysia Operations of Star Cruises and ship captain. Photo: Syafiq Affendy/Borneo Bulletin
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, Nov 12: The SuperStar Aquarius, a 51,309-tonne cruise ship carrying 800 international passengers from Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia arrived at the Muara Port for the first time yesterday following her successful homeport relocation to Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah, Malaysia last week.
The cruise ship was welcomed in a ceremony hosted by Brunei Tourism with the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, attending the event as the guest of honour.
Amid mesmerising traditional cultural performances “Jipin Lela Sembah”, “Kayum Oh Ya Kayum”, “Rumpun Budaya” and “Joget Seri Kenangan”, all cruise passengers were presented with local souvenirs courtesy of Brunei Tourism.
Edward Johann Leong, the Vice President of East Malaysia Operations of Star Cruises, said as a leader of the Asia-Pacific cruise industry, Star Cruises truly understands what customers want when it comes to holiday preferences.
“We are proud to present a variety of exclusive shore excursions for our passengers on this 4D3N cruise, so they could explore the best of Muara and Bintulu. Brunei is a refreshing tourist destination for her rich diversity of natural and cultural heritage as well as her exciting contemporary energy. I am sure our passengers will enjoy themselves and have a memorable time here,” added the Vice President.
Moreover, Leong added that they are very appreciative of the support rendered by the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Brunei Tourism, the Ports Department, the Immigration and National Registration Department and the Royal Customs and Excise Department. “We hope we can continue to work closely to spur cruise tourism development in Brunei and bring more international passengers to this wonderful Abode of Peace – A Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures,” he said.
Following the Vice President’s speech was a ribbon cutting ceremony and a video presentation on Star Cruises and tourism in Brunei, an exchange of memento ceremony was held at Stardust Lounge.
The guests then toured around the 13-deck luxury liner and had a sumptuous lunch at the Cruise Ship Centre, Muara Port. The inaugural cruise ceremony was also attended by members of the media, travel agents and business partners from across the region such as Malaysia, China and Taiwan.
SuperStar Aquarius offers a 4D3N cruise from Kota Kinabalu to Muara and Bintulu every Sunday with a number of exclusive shore excursions for guests to explore. The vessel will be calling at Muara every Monday from now until March 30, 2014, allowing passengers to explore the best of Brunei. On Star Cruises, every journey is a voyage of discovery and surprise.
source: Borneo Bulletin
