Star Voyager Targets Australian Cruiser

StarCruises bought Pacific Explorer off Carnival Australia to sail in Asia.
She has already completed her first cruise.
Now her owners are targeting Australians to come back and see how Explorer looks now.

As Star Voyager completes her first cruise from her new homeport in Singapore, StarCruises president Michael Goh says the ship’s Southeast Asian itineraries and luxurious Palace suites are set to appeal to the Australian market, many of whom have fond memories of her days as Pacific Explorer.

“The Australians love this ship,” Goh tells Cruise Passenger during an interview at the ship’s Palm Court lounge. “Just three weeks ago, we started advertising in Australia. This is a market with potential and we’re ready to invest in bringing Australians on board.”

He added that guests from Down Under will love the ship not just because of her P&O roots, but the alluring itineraries.

“The itineraries are attractive and destinations very appealing to Australian cruisers, who love longer sailings” he notes.

Star Voyager offers five-night cruises to destinations like Melaka, Jakarta, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. Also, four-night sailings to places like Koh Samui and Medan.

The cruises are on offer at US$638 per person or around AUS$200 per person per night.

Read about her transformation here.

Colin Kerr, senior vice president of cruise entertainment, added, “When our Australian guests from past sailings heard this ship was coming back as Star Voyager, they got excited. They don’t want just two or three-day sailings, they want 5-night ones. This is one of the reasons why we put such itineraries together.”

He added that cruisers from Western Australia and Queensland are particularly excited about Star Voyager.

“These guests know the ship was she was Pacific Explorer and want to return to the vessel that they feel is their home, “he said. “And now, they can experience sailing around Asia and enjoy Asian hospitality.”

When asked why Pacific Explorer was the right vessel to be transformed into Star Voyager, Goh recalls stepping aboard the ship for the first time in Melbourne.

“When I walked into the lobby, I fell in love. The layout, the many choices of restaurants and the bars — it felt right. And when we bought the ship, we did a lot of work to upgrade it.”

Among the biggest upgrades was the creation of the Palace, StarCruises’ signature suite experience which Goh says offers “close to 50 suites” after converting two standard cabins into one. He adds that the butler service remains a guest favourite, with guests even requesting their favourite butler.

Another indoor area that much of the budget was spent on was the lobby area which used to be congested.

“We could only cater to 40, so we tore everything to remodel it and put in a big LED screen, allowing the team to create a party atmosphere,” he said.

While much of the indoor space has been refreshed, Goh admits there’s still more to do. For example, the pool decks have not been refreshed yet.

He said, “We only had a month in the shipyard, so there’s only so much we could complete. Some areas still look a bit dated, but within the next six months we’ll renovate more. Customer experience is the most important thing.”

Kerr also highlights the return of familiar faces on board. He notes that around 15 of the crew were previously with P&O and chose to join Star Cruises aboard the ship. Others were with Dream Cruises pre-COVID and chose to stay on. “It’s like welcoming family back,” he said.

Ultimately, both Goh and Kerr believe it’s the combination of longer cruises, authentic Asian hospitality, refreshed interiors and the ship’s culinary variety that will attract Australian cruisers.

“When you give a good experience to your guests, they become your ambassadors. That’s what we believe in, whether it’s StarCruises or Dream Cruises,” said Goh.

See more at the StarCruise website here.