KUCHING: Sarawak recently welcomed back its first cruise ship this year from Singapore en route to Hong Kong, named ‘Star Breeze’ which anchored at Sim Kheng Hong Port on Thursday (March 23).
There were 201 passengers, mostly from the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Europe, Australia, and ASEAN countries, onboard the Star Breeze.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) director of Stakeholder Relations Maurice Balang said the passengers were given a warm traditional garlanding welcome before going for a visit to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Sarawak Cultural Village, and around the city centre for the Kuching Heritage Tour.
He also said the arrival of Star Breeze marks the reinstatement of cruise arrivals into Sarawak after a three-year hiatus, with another cruise ship expected to arrive in November this year.
“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,” he said in a statement today (March 25).
The Star Breeze left Kuching in the late evening of the same day to sail to its next destination in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Other destinations also include several islands in the Philippines before it is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong on April 4.
The Star Breeze is owned by Windstar Cruises that is based in the US with 205 crew members on board.
