Cruises gaining popularity

Words by Stevie G.

Going island-hopping in style is doing it on a cruise liner where you are pampered and entertained the moment you check in.

A stateroom onboard the SuperStar Libra.

Star Cruises’ SuperStar Libra, which is home porting at Swettenham Pier, is offering three-night cruises to the Thai islands of Krabi and Phuket from Penang. It is a three-island vacation, unless you are a Penang native.

After checking in onboard the cruise liner, holidaymakers will immediately find a wide selection of amenities for their use and entertainment. On their ‘sailing hotel’, there are restaurants serving different types of cuisines, and bars such as the Blue Lagoon, Coconut Willy’s, Spices Restaurant, Mariners Buffet, Four Season Restaurant, Taipan, Pool Bar and Ocean Palace.

Guests also have swimming pools, gym, karaoke, lounges and (not to forget) the casino to spend time there. A bee line will form at the casino as guests pile in to try their luck after the welcoming dinner. Others can wander around to check out the entertainment on board the cruise liner.

Staying on the cruise liner is experiencing hotel stay on a floating vessel. The crew is just as hospitable as regular hotel staff – all smiles and ever ready to be of assistance. The nice feeling is to wake up in a different place the next morning.

Upon reaching Krabi, guests are organized in groups to disembark. They are transferred by boats to go onshore for a day of sightseeing.

The Tiger Cave Temple got its name from the legend of the tiger that lived in the cave.

The Goddess if Mercy is also enshrined at the Tiger Cave Temple

During my recent trip, I visited the Tiger Cave Temple. Legend has it that the name of the temple derived from a tiger that sought refuge in the cave. It was said that the tiger’s roar could be heard by villagers who lived nearby. A famous Buddhist monk then built the temple in the cave.

The temple has since attracted tourists from around the world, who go there for spiritual reasons or just to see tiger paw prints and tall statues of Buddha. The temple also houses a Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin) temple that is very popular among Singaporean visitors.

Tourists love taking photos with the giant black crab statue in Krabi

In the heart of town, visitors will find delicious seafood offerings, beautiful beaches and a giant crab monument along Krabi River that visitors love to take photos with. The monument does not promote seafood meals, but is said to symbolise the local people’s appreciation for the mangrove forest that is home to black crabs; as well as their traditional lifestyle that depended on the sea.

Visitors who love trinkets will have a field day in Krabi. There are shopping malls to check out. Those seeking adventure will be happy to find activities like scuba diving, island-hopping, horse riding, elephant rides, shooting and go-karting available to sign up for.

At the end of the day, Libra guests will return to the cruise liner to retire for the night and then find themselves at the Phuket port by 7am the next day for another round of sightseeing and cultural experience after breakfast onboard.

A place to visit in Phuket is Promthep Cape, which is one of the most photographed places on the island. Tourists throng the hill there to view the sunset everyday. The scenery is also breathtaking.

Sunset watching is popular at the Promthep Cape in Phuket

A Phuket visit is incomplete without a stop at Patong Beach, a place for nightlife, shopping, food, drinks and cabaret shows.

The Simon Cabaret Show is a mustsee. Most of the beautiful performers are widely known to be trans-genders whom you are excused for mistaken as pretty ladies. The show featuring K-Pop, Bollywood, Chinese and English numbers are so good. Many also enjoy taking selfies with the performers.

The Jungceylon shopping mall is a haven to those who love to shop. This place has a Robinson departmental store, a Big C supermarket, and over 200 other shops selling branded clothes, spectacles, sunglasses, cosmetics, perfumes, shoes, DVDs, computer games, mobile phones and accessories, and electrical goods.

The Jungceylon shopping mall in Phuket is a haven for shoppers

It also has a cinema, and a 16-lane bowling alley. It is the perfect place to head to if the weather becomes too hot or too wet on Patong Beach.

For some partying, Patong Beach’s neon-lit ‘Soi Bangla’ (Bangla Road) is the place to go to for its hundreds of restaurants, beer bars, Go Go Bars and night clubs.

The SuperStar Libra has over 700 staterooms to accommodate 1,500 passenger and will be home-porting in Penang until the end of 2017.