tar ruises woos uslim travellers
ot too long ago, going on a cruise tour, for man people, was like a pipe dream lanning a holida on a lu ur cruise is one of the top list of to dos for avid travelers who elieve that one has not traveled if he has not sailed at sea
NOT TOO long ago, going on a cruise tour, for many people, was like a pipe dream.
Planning a holiday on a luxury cruise is one of the top list of ‘to dos’ for avid travelers who believe that one has not traveled if he has not sailed at sea.
Today, Sabahans are not only having the chance to experience exclusive holidays on board a cruise ship, but the destination is also just a few steps away from Kota Kinabalu city centre.
Starting from RM220 (all-in fare) for a one-night cruise to around RM1,300 for a three-nights and four-days ( 3N4D) cruise, every Sabahans from all walks of life can now experience a luxury stay in a floating hotel where you can look out into the deep blue sea from your cabin window and enjoy lots of top class live entertainment and great facilities on board.
SuperStar Aquarius, the Star Cruises’ 756-cabin cruiseliner is in its second season to home-port in Sabah, offering various activities and refreshing experiences on board.
For Muslim cruisers, it will not be a problem because two restaurants in the cruise are halal-certified by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim). Both Spices Restaurant and Taipan are the favourite places for the Muslims to hunt for Asian specialty buffet and Chinese a la carte.
While the two restaurants are halal-certified, most of the other food outlets in the cruise are also ‘Serve No Pork’ restaurants.
Last year, when SuperStar Aquarius came to home-port in Sabah for the first time, it led to a surge in bookings from the Chinese community.
Matthewpaul Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd executive chairman, Matthew Chin Sin Kui, said most of his company’s customers last year were Chinese with only 2 per cent Muslims.
As a Star Cruises Preferred Sales Agent (PSA)with more than 10 years experience in cruiseliners, Chin said, the Muslim market is another huge potential to be exploited.
“For our Muslims friends, the issue of halal food is a major factor and the lack of interest in cruise vacations stems from the uncertainty surrounding halal food served aboard cruise ships.
“However, in West Malaysia, Star Cruises are doing very good in their Muslim package because many activities have been implemented to attract the Muslims. Here in Sabah, we will be introducing a Muslim Package to ensure that our Muslim friends will understand the commitment of Star Cruises to attract the Muslim community, who are form 60 per cent of the State population.
“Not many Muslims know that two eateries in SuperStar Aquarius are halal-certified. This is the most attractive selling point that we will focus this time around.
“The starting price for a onenight cruise is only around RM220, including port charges, while the four-day cruise starts from RM1,300. The four-day package will give exclusive opportunity to our customers to visit the New 7 Wonders of Nature, Puerto Princesa Underground River,” he said.
“We want Sabahan travelers to grab this opportunity without having to f ly to Peninsular Malaysia or Singapore or Hong Kong to enjoy luxury holidays,” added Chin.
Matthew is confident the Muslim market will be excited with the cruise after having a clear picture on the halal certification.
“We believe this cruise is not exclusive to certain group of people because it has world-class entertainment and great relaxing options that appeal to a whole range of holidaymakers, be they families, honeymooners, senior citizens and even incentives and business groups.
“Apart from acrobatic performances by European talents, there are many exciting entertainment highlights on board,” he said.
Among the entertainment highlights on board are Sail Away Party during departure, Show Band Performance from Malaysian talented artistes, World of Magic Showcase by Leslie McKinney, Asean Best Theme Party, Reel to Real Crew Show, Cosplay Party, Blockbuster Movie Shows, Somewhere in Time Production Show, Fantasy, a sexy adult show and Choco Mania Farewell Party.
Travelers with children will be also given the opportunity to have their kids participate in various activities such as ice cream making party and many other fun and entertaining programmes. The Child Care Centre service is also open with a children’s playroom and nursery for a minimal charge.
Executive Chef Markt Harald, who has been with Star Cruises for a number of years, said the cruise-liner is determined to ensure that the plan to open up a halal restaurant comes to fruition.
“We are happy to see the increasing number of Muslim cruisers on board, and we will continue to serve the best food for them. It is not easy to be certified by Jakim because we need to follow all the requirements, said Harald.
“We also have experts to ensure raw food supplies for the restaurant are only sourced from suppliers that have been endorsed by Jakim. Food supplies that are brought in from the other countries during the stopover are also ensured of halal certification,” He said Jakim’s rules need to be strictly followed to gain the trust of the Muslims travelers, and further explained that the cruise had to change all the pots and pans, plates, cutlery and dining sets to remove any lingering doubts.
The idea of opening a restaurant came about when the Star Cruises management realised that Muslims were not fond of taking up cruise vacation packages because of the food served on cruise ships.
Samsia Jiman, a 62-year-old housewife who went for the first cruise this year, said it was meaningful for her family to have the chance to enjoy the entertainment on board.
“This year’s cruise is from Kota Kinabalu to Puerto Princesa, the city on Palawan Island of the Philippines.
“During the day, I can go to hair salon, reflexology, cooking class, kitchen tour, shopping at its Duty Free shops, relax at the top of the ship while enjoying their free of charge coffee and biscuits... while at night there will be many performances and games available for the adults.
SuperStar Aquarius is currently home-ported in Kota Kinabalu from November 2014 until March 2015.
All Star Cruises PSA will be having Christmas, school holiday and Valentine promotions, where Sabahans can book their tickets earlier as tickets are selling very fast.