KUCHING, March 25: Sarawak welcomed back its first cruise ship this year from Singapore en route to Hong Kong named ‘Star Breeze’ anchored at Sim Kheng Hong Port on Thursday (March 23).
According to Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) in a statement today, the cruise ship arrived at 8am, bringing 201 passengers for a brief visit to Sarawak.
STB director of stakeholder relations Maurice Balang said the arrival of Star Breeze marks the reinstatement of cruise arrivals into Sarawak after a three-year hiatus.
“Another cruise ship is also expected to arrive in Sarawak later in November,” he said in a statement today.
He added Kuching needs a deep-sea port to make Sarawak a viable cruise destination in the future to cater for mega cruise ships with a capacity of more than 3,000 passengers.
The cruise ship passengers, mostly from the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and Asean countries, were given a warm traditional welcome before visiting Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and Sarawak Cultural Village and going around Kuching city for the Kuching Heritage tour.
The ship left Kuching in the late evening of the same day to sail to its next destination in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, including several islands in the Philippines, before it is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong on April 4.
Star Breeze is owned by Windstar Cruises, which is based in the USA with 205 crew members on board. — DayakDaily
