Planning a cruise holiday? Let me share to you my recent cruise experience from Manila to Ishigaki in Okinawa, Japan and Keelung, Taiwan.
In 2016, I experienced my very first cruise holiday on board Star Cruises SuperStar Gemini from Singapore to Penang and Langkawi, Malaysia. It was indeed an awesome and memorable experience and certainly one of my best travels in 2016.
This summer 2018, Star Cruises returns to Manila and made it its homeport to let Filipinos embark on a new and exciting adventure. That is why I am so delighted when Star Cruises invited me again to experience a 6-day/5-night cruise from Manila to Japan and Taiwan. We were so excited, that is why we went to the Port of Manila very early to process our embarkation and to check-in.
Embarkation is convenient and efficient. From Hotel H2O in Manila Ocean Park, we boarded the free shuttle bus service that brought us to the Port of Manila. Upon arriving at the port, there are staff that assisted us in every step. From checking-in your luggage, to registration and getting your access key card, to immigration procedure. Everything went fast and smooth.
At around 1:00 PM we're already on board SuperStar Virgo and quickly went to our cabin located the deck 9. It's an Oceanview Balcony Cabin and I'm amazed when I first saw how lovely our cabin is. It is bigger than what I expected it to be and it’s like a room in a hotel!
It has has a huge bed complemented with clean white sheets, top quality and thick comforters, and fluffy pillows. It also has a small living area with a sofa that can be converted into a bed for 2 guests, and it is equipped with all the essential amenities needed for comfortable stay. There's a huge television set, a vanity dresser with a mirror, an en suite toilet and bath, cabinets, a small bed table with a telephone, a mini bar with a refrigerator filled with drinks, and a coffee and tea making equipment. Complimentary bottled drinking water, coffee and tea sets were also provided and replenished daily.
The toilet and bath is a bit small, but clean, organized and well lit. It has a small sink with a mirror and separate toilet and shower areas. The toilet has a clean water closet, and the shower area has hot and cold shower feature. High quality toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, body lotion, vanity and dental care kits were also provided. Clean bath and hand towels are provided for guests' comfort and convenience. What else could I ask for? Everything we need are here!
At one side of our cabin is a private balcony with day beds and a small table. This is our favorite part of cabin where we spent most of our time just hanging around, having coffee, and enjoying the beautiful view of the sea and of the sunset each day.
With this awesome room cabin amenities and facilities, every guest will surely have a comfortable and relaxing cruise holiday onboard Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo!
After settling our bags and fixing our things, we went to Star Dining Restaurant to have our late lunch. But first, we passed by the ship's lobby called "Grand Piazza" to check it out. Oh-emmM-Geee! It's so huge and elegant! I love the lobby's colorful stained glass ceilings, the grand staircase, and the glass-fronted elevators with bright lights that go up and down on one side. It feels like Europe, I must say!
Star Dining Restaurant is a casual dining restaurant serving classic western dishes on a relaxed and informal atmosphere. It also has some private rooms for a more intimate dining experience when celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, anniversary, or perhaps a wedding proposal?
On board Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo, meals are already included in the package. All you need to do is go to the inclusive restaurants and order - whether it's breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, or even late night snacks. For our lunch, we had a 4-course meal composed of a salad, a soup, a main course, and dessert. Sorry I forgot to take photos of all of them. Hahaha!
We then went back to our room and had a quick rest while we started sailing along Manila bay and enjoying the beautiful view from our cabin's balcony.
Then we heard a voice announcement requesting everyone to proceed to their respective assembly area for the safety drill. This is a mandatory activity that every passenger should attend because the crew will teach you on what to do in case of an emergency - such as how to wear the life jacket, where to go, how to take the life boat, and many more. Be sure not to miss this.
At around 5:30 PM, we went to the Parthenon Pool at Deck 12 for the welcome barbecue dinner. There were so many food! It's a buffet dining experience where guests enjoyed a variety of dishes from the grilling station, noodles and pasta section, Asian cuisines, and desserts! We again ate so much while enjoying the beautiful Manila Bay sunset. Hahaha! Siguradong tataba kami dito! LOL!
Guests were also entertained by the ship's band and performers by the poolside. What else could be better with a welcome dinner like this?
We finished our dinner, just in time for the 7:00 PM show at The Zodiac Theater - home of the SuperStar Virgo's nightly shows such as musicals, dance performances, and magic shows. The show that night is an illusion/magic show by one of Europe's top illusionist Vincent Vignaud. Entitled "Spirit," Vincent Vignaud took us into the depths of his imagination and world of tricks and illusions. It's a great shows that is a spectacle of illusions and magical moments! Don't miss this, I'm quite sure that you'll certainly love it!
After the show, we went back to deck 13 and spent some time enjoying the cool breeze of the sea before calling it a night. We still have 5 more days and I'm so excited with the activities lined up for us. And of course, we're also lokking forward to our onshore tours in Ishigaki Okinawa, Japan and Keelung, Taiwan in the coming days. I'll be sharing to you more of our experience in my next posts.
[ CLICK HERE TO READ DAY 2 ]
Star Cruises Promos
The adventure continues as #SuperStarVirgo gives you two special cruise offers this June 2018! Choose between:
CRUISE ONE, TAKE ONE - 5-Night roundtrip Manila cruise to Kaohsiung, Taiwan and Hong Kong on June 3.
And just before SuperStar Virgo says farewell to Manila, exclusively-unique and equally family-friendly cruises are available with a cruise on June 3 (Manila – Kaohsiung – Hong Kong – Manila) and a special June 8 relocation cruise from Manila – Keelung, Taiwan for AS LOW AS USD 30 (Cruise fare only)!
Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo can be booked through any local travel agency or via www.starcruises.com! For inquiries, you may call (02) 836 6080 or email salesmanila@gentinghk.com.
Star Cruises
Booking Hotline: (+632) 836-6080Official website: http://www.starcruises.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/starcruises
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/starcruisesasia
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