Luxury cruise ship homeports in Manila
On a sunny Sunday morning, Manila ushered in the summer vacation season as the luxury cruise ship Superstar Virgo came to homeport in Manila for its maiden voyage from Manila to Laoag-Kaohsiung, Taiwan-Hong Kong and back to Manila.
Joining the excited greeters were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Teo and officials from Manila City Hall.
Hong Kong-based Star Cruises’ flagship arrived to a rousing, fanfare-filled celebration at Manila’s South Harbor where hundreds of welcomers waited.
In behalf of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, city administrator Eric Alcovendaz presented the city’s symbolic key to Star Cruises president Ang Moo Lim.
The 13-story, 900-cabin, 2,600-passenger ship docked at 7:30 a.m. The public was treated to a dazzling musicale at its Lido theater and then a tour of the ship, including restaurants, bars, game room, shopping mall, gym, massage spa and roof deck swimming pool.
“As the first-ever cruise ship to homeport in Manila, Superstar Virgo will etch a milestone in our tourism journey, as both the ship and our shores will provide vacationers, including the locals, the convenience of not having to fly to either Hong Kong or Singapore to take a cruise,” said Teo.
She added that this dramatizes the vision of the ASEAN and China Tourism Cooperation agreement forged recently.
DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon lauded the decision of Star Cruises and its parent company Genting to homeport its flagship in Manila, as more cruise calls support the thrust to increase tourist arrivals into the country.
Bengzon noted that an extensive number of Filipinos are interested in a cruise of their own country, as well as a tour of Asia on a luxury ship.
Star Cruises is reportedly looking forward to add more Philippine destinations, such as Boracay and Cebu, in its cruise itinerary.