Superstar Aquarius

[deck 9 001]

From what I have seen of all the ongoing renovation work while the ship called at Keelung, SuperStar Aquarius will surely be virtually a "new ship."

 

I believe her interiors will be liked by everyone. The "Blue Lagoon" will be a very interesting and nice venue.

 

Hope all you Aquarius cruisers have a great time.

Please let us know your experiences.

 

Best,

Mike

[richele]

Thank you for your best wishes. We are leaving tomorrow for Bangkok and then on to Singapore to board the ship on Sunday. Aquarius looks beautiful in the pictures!

[ssv]

Thks Mike! Wish you a great time onboard the Libra too, I miss her already.

[deck 9 001]

Hi richele and SSV,

 

You are most welcome. I really do hope that your cruises with Aquarius proves to be everything that you hoped it would be. I will be so interested to see some of your photos after your cruises.

 

Again, blue skies and calm seas (unless you like a "little" motion from the ocean;)

 

 

BON VOYAGE

My best,

Mike

[ssv]

Finally June 17th! Will be leaving in a hour to board the Aquarius, cant wait!

 

Will try to take pictures whenever I can and post them here.

 

Hello to all cruisers onboard Aquarius today, good bye Singapore!

[deck 9 001]

We would love to see some pics if you have time to post them.

 

Enjoy your cruise and ports of call.

 

Happy sailing.

 

Best,

Mike

[kuldalai]

Assume SS AQUARIUS got away from Singapore yesterday as scheduled on its placement cruise to Honkers ? Any cruisers on board appreciate any photos, news updates etc . When on this vessel in its former guise as Norwegian Wind in Alaska last year, although an older boat was just wonderful and the NCL crew like Star's in Asia were just fantastic.

[ssv]

Back into the real world. Ship looked virtually new in many public areas.

 

Some disappointments however I still enjoyed the trip. Will post the photos and full review when I'm more up to date with the real world(tomorrow).

[ssv]

Skyline Karaoke - Karaoke Competitions are held and there are 4 private room for those who are more self-conscious :P

 

Aquarius Lounge and the back - Blue Lagoon(Deck 9Mid), this area look like the ship is fresh off the yard.

 

Superstar Aquarius' and Star Cruises' maiden call in the new Phoenix International cruise terminal, a fantastic facility 5 mins away from city by taxi.

 

Welcome to Hong Kong! Superstar Aquarius' Home Port and a water canon welcome by the port authorities.

 

Note: There was also a huge celebration portside by I do not have any picture of it, there was a traditional dragon ceremony and a band, passengers disembarking were greeted by executives of Star Cruises and HK Tourism.

 

A nice touch from Star Cruises' for passengers on its newest gem - Superstar Aquarius' relocation and "inaugural" voyage.

 

That was all the pictures I have(minus 1), sorry for the lack of quality and quantity.

 

Full word review tomorrow(its 3.21am SG time now!)

[dougnewmanatsea]

From those photos the interiors look nice, bolder colors now than the light pastels that were there during her NCL career. Certainly more suitable to the Asian market as well as my taste.

 

I actually have always thought DREAM/WIND were nice ships though I actually haven't been on one post-stretch which apparently made them more crowded. When I was on the WINDWARD not long before the stretch, I found her a very impressive ship. She and DREAMWARD were probably the nicest mass-market cruise ships of their era (early 1990s) and, frankly, too good for NCL's product at the time! (IMHO, NCL now is a lot better than it was 10 years ago.)

 

Good luck to SUPERSTAR AQUARIUS in her new life and I look forward to hearing and seeing more about her.

[deck 9 001]

SSV thanks for taking the time to post the nice photos. I am greatly looking forward to more comments and impressions from you. Seems that Star and the HK Tourist Office did a nice job for the maiden arrival of Aquarius.

 

Glad you had an enjoyable cruise.

 

Mike

[Deck10 007]

Suppose to replace the old casino ship Wasa Queen. Dailly cruise to no where. Read that as gambling in International waters. At last count it is competing with 8 other casino ships in HK. I just think what Star Cruises would do with all the empty cabins now as the local like to gamble right through the night and then go straight to work when the ship docks back in HK in the morning.

[deck 9 001]

Hi SSV, saw your post on the Virgo thread. Too bad you lost your review in the "timing out" of these boards.

Anyway, if you care to just give a few comments, it will be nice. Thanks for trying.

 

Best,

Mike

[ssv]

Anything for you Mike!

 

The Superstar Aquarius is definitely a nice ship that should cater well to her homeport. I had a great time onboard this relocation cruise.

 

Cabin #7262

Oceanview with Obstructed Window

 

--Check-in--

 

Lines were atrociously long, even though being one of the first few passengers, I only got onto the ship at 11.40am. Ship departed late at ~13.45. The cruise centre and Star Cruises might have underestimated the crowd as check-in for Virgo is much much better. Very frustrated and a disappointing start.

 

--The Voyage--

 

Rough weather on day of departure and 1st sea day, many passengers had sea sickness. I enjoyed myself thoroughly exploring each corner of the ship to the surprise of some people(I am immune to sea-sickness). Ship was rolling from left to right pretty significantly, no idea why stabilisers were not used.

 

Arrival into Ho Chi Minh City was delayed to 9am(originally 7am), departure was delayed by 1 hour due to congestion in city which lead to late arrival of tour groups

 

Arrival into Sanya was on-time, departure on-time. Arrival into Hong Kong was pushed forward to 2pm(from 3pm).

 

--Ho Chi Minh City--

 

Booked the transfer to city. Weather was very warm and humid, did not enjoy the city and took the first bus back. Many fellow cruisers felt the same about HCMC too. Ladies wearing traditional costumes welcomed the arrival of the ship and its departure with balloons, displaying Vietnamese's warm hospitality.

 

--Sanya--

 

Docked at the new Phoenix International Cruise Terminal, a wonderful facility that is 5mins by taxi away from city. Only had lunch there so no further comments.

 

--Food--

 

This ship definitely lacked dining venue and option. Food was mediocre in main dining restaurants and the menu offered very limited food options. I think I lost weight on this trip :eek: Had most meals at Blue Lagoon instead where food is above average, slightly better than the one on Virgo. Menu lacked variety at Blue Lagoon too.

 

--Public Space--

 

My favourite place on the ship is deck 7 aft, at the stern where I felt very comfortable, able to look at the shimmering stars and the sea go by. Surprisingly, extremely little/virtually no vibration was felt here at full speed compared to the Virgo/Libra, no idea why.

 

Aquarius Lounge was alright, lots of traffic bypassing. Skyline Karaoke felt just like a karaoke. I'm amazed by the new interior though, the ship felt very new in these areas. Stardust was alright, satisfactory sight-lines however it felt crowded.

 

--Entertainment--

 

Star Cruises never fail in this area. 4 shows were planned - Tropicalia, Kingdom of Kungfu, Bangkok Lady Boys and the Extravaganza show.

 

The Extravaganza show truly revealed the hidden talents(or not:D ) of passengers or crew. It is a great show by great performers and great audience. Elvis came back to life and a scottish man tried to prove his chinese heritage.

 

Most cruise staffs were transferred over from the Virgo, so it was nice to chat with them and engage in some gossip sharing =X

 

--Arrival--

 

The Hong Kong Tourism Board and Star Cruises held a welcoming ceremony that included the traditional chinese lion/dragon(?) dance, a band playing and greeting of guests by executives of the company.

 

--Etc.--

 

The Clubs were indeed HUGE! Most probably the largest at sea by a cruise company.

 

In all, this trip was a great trip despite some hiccups in embarkation that I'm sure will be better managed in future, and also the Aquarius being a new ship. The layout and facilities of the ship IMO suits the Hong Kong market very well, but not so much for this 6d 5n cruise.

 

This ship also did not feel as comfortable and homely as the SS Libra/SS Virgo

 

I'll no doubt want to sail with the lady again, but for now, back to my darling Superstar Virgo.

[deck 9 001]

Hi SSV, fantastic that you took the time, not to mention patience to do your review again. Thanks so much.

 

I enjoyed reading your comments. I gather that "on the whole" it was a good cruise. Great!

Although many public rooms were refitted into casinos, the Aquarius will still be fine for the intended 3D/2N Xiamen cruises. I believe there are still enough rooms for pax to roam about in.

I am sorry to read that you feel the dining venues are not enough.

 

Thanks again for posting your thoughts.

 

Best,

Mike

[ssv]

On the whole, it was indeed a great cruise.

 

Dining options are most probably sufficient for the Hong Kong itineraries however, is definitely lacking on a longer cruise. Food wasn't great as well, maybe staffs are not familiar with the ship yet.

 

This ship had quite abit of public space with new and beautiful interior enough for even this 6d 5n cruise(as I spent some time in the clubs). I like the facilities for sure, but just did not feel as comfortable in those places compared to many venues on the Virgo.

 

Embarkation procedures will definitely be smoothen out, to avoid such long queues again knowing Star Cruises' efficiency.

 

There are always hiccups on any holiday trip and I just took it in my stride, rather than make a big fuss over it(like some reviews on NCL board)

 

Any questions, just shoot! =)

[ssv]

Itineraries for SSQ for October07 to December07

 

Itinerary will remain the same with the main feature of 2d/1n Hong Kong high sea cruise. 2 3d/2n Xiamen cruise will be available in October.

 

Main focus however, is a 8d/7n cruise visiting Shanghai and Xiamen.

 

 

For more details, look for the release of itinerary on Star Cruises website.

[kuldalai]

http://www.starcruises.com/News/2007/20071008.html

[mummsie]

We have booked on the Aquaries in June 2008 doing a 4 day out of Singapore. There doesn't seem to be much information out there for her. I am hopefully the entertainment will be as good on her as the Gemini had. We aren't into casinos (I know she has quite a few on her). We are going for the fact I love cruising that part of the world as I don't need to worry about seasickness tablets. My husband and I are dancers so hopefully the dancing will be good on this to make up for not using the casinos :D - Mummsie

[deck 9 001]

Hi Gayle, so nice to see your post. It's been a while.

 

I am not replying to your post with info, as I have not sailed Aquarius as yet, so I will leave that to others who have sailed.

 

Just wanted to pop in and say Hi to you and hope you have a great cruise aboard Aquarius in June.

 

Happy sailing,

 

Mike

[malamute]

Hi and thanks so much for this great forum -

I am in the position of booking for our first ever cruise ! In fact, it will also be our first holiday away from South Africa. Not only am I extremely excited by this but also extremely nervous about spending money, a lot of money, doing the right thing.

I have always dreamed of doing a cruise, as well as a trip to the Singapore region. The Star cruises seem to be absolutely ideal !

 

My concern is this: after much internet research, my wife and I both felt that the Virgo was the ship to go on ... problem is, it';s not doing the area we want to visit over July this year (our time of travel). The travel agents have suggested we go on the Aquarius -

I need advice from you guys who have done all the ships, especially the Aquarius.

 

We are not gamblers, and have never been on a ship before, so don't know whether we will experience sea-sickness.

 

Can we expect to be "blown away" by the Aquarius, as much as we would have been if we went on the Virgo ? We enjoy our food --- I've read that this is a bit disappointing on the Aquarius - is this true ?

 

Do they also have "extravaganza" type shows on board ?

 

We're looking at the 5 night cruise to Phuket ... is this a good choice on the Aquarius ?

 

Sorry for all the questions, just don't want our very first trip together to be disappointing.

 

Regards all !

[ssv]

You might like the Aquarius. I'm not anti-Aquarius but I'm not her biggest fan either

 

Very frankly and no offence to Aquarius-lovers (if any), the ship is not worth the time and money. If it's the Virgo then I can assure you that you'll most probably be very satisfied and perhaps be blown away by the ship and her crew.

 

If possible, join Virgo ex-HK and visit Halong Bay and Haikou/Sanya and/or Keelung.

 

To answer your questions:

 

Yes, there are shows almost everyday which are top-quality (IMO).

 

The food is average at best. I wouldn't expect too much.

 

 

However, whats lacking hardware-wise, they make it up with the friendly and dedicated crew. So KUDOS to all the crew fleetwide.

[mummsie]

Welcome Malamute - Any bad cruise is better than a good day at work. :D We are not gamblers either but because we love sailing in that part of the world - it left us little choice now the Gemini has been pulled out. We loved the Gemini. As for sea sickness - the waters were as calm as sailing across a lake. There was very little movement at all. I get very sea sick on most ships but the straits are great. Sometimes you can't even feel you are moving.

I can't imagine the food would be any different to the Virgo or the Gemini - they use the same recipes and the chefs and other kitchen staff move around. The food on the Gemini was excellent - we enjoyed every meal. Besides anything anybody cooks and cleans up for me is better than being at home doing it yourself. :D

You have to go with the intention of having a great time. The only think that will be my bugbear is if they allow smoking everywhere as they did on the Gemini - makes it very unpleasant for us non smokers who want to sit and have a few quiet drinks and do a lot of dancing. - mummsie

[mummsie]

Hi Mike - long time no hear. I still pop into the Gemini page quite a bit but because we haven't had anything booked, I just read everything that is posted. :D - Gayle

[Deck10 007]

Hi and thanks so much for this great forum -

I am in the position of booking for our first ever cruise ! In fact, it will also be our first holiday away from South Africa. Not only am I extremely excited by this but also extremely nervous about spending money, a lot of money, doing the right thing.

I have always dreamed of doing a cruise, as well as a trip to the Singapore region. The Star cruises seem to be absolutely ideal !

 

My concern is this: after much internet research, my wife and I both felt that the Virgo was the ship to go on ... problem is, it';s not doing the area we want to visit over July this year (our time of travel). The travel agents have suggested we go on the Aquarius -

I need advice from you guys who have done all the ships, especially the Aquarius.

 

We are not gamblers, and have never been on a ship before, so don't know whether we will experience sea-sickness.

 

Can we expect to be "blown away" by the Aquarius, as much as we would have been if we went on the Virgo ? We enjoy our food --- I've read that this is a bit disappointing on the Aquarius - is this true ?

 

Do they also have "extravaganza" type shows on board ?

 

We're looking at the 5 night cruise to Phuket ... is this a good choice on the Aquarius ?

 

Sorry for all the questions, just don't want our very first trip together to be disappointing.

 

Regards all !

 

I just want to let you know that the Aquarius is a casino ship.

1 and 1/2 floors of casino space to be precise. If you are not a gambler there is nothing much else on board.

The food is mostly all Asian Cuisine.

The Gemini does a couple of cruises in the July period and I would advice you to go on the Gemini instead.