All aboard!
August 24, 2003 | 12:00am
Romancing the seas has been a favorite theme of many films in the past. In1932, Warner Bros. released One Way Passage, a love story starring Kay Francis and William Powell. The shipboard romance between Bette Davis and Paul Henried blossomed in the film Now Voyager. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr made a classic out of An Affair to Remember. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell fell in love in the middle of the sea in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In 1997, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio professed undying love aboard a stricken ocean liner on its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic in the major Hollywood blockbuster Titanic. Vignettes of these film classics came to mind as my traveling companions and I immortalized our trip via snapshots on the bow at Deck 7 of the luxurious SuperStar Virgo before we charted the calm seas along the Straits of Malacca enroute to Langkawi, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand and back to the Lion City of Singapore.
With more and more couples honeymooning and single men and women traveling alone, the possibility of a shipboard romance affords a special attraction. Besides, in such a beautiful ship, it’s so easy to fall in love. From my experience of cruising aboard SuperStar Virgo, I dare say cruising is the best there is – an opulent, luxurious vessel where everything works, where accommodating, friendly people and food and entertainment are aplenty. You wake up each glorious morning to watch the sunrise, are pampered with great cuisine all day long in their seven fine restaurants, can party all night at the celebrity disco or be a sportsbuff in the driving range, basketball court, the gym or treat yourself to a beauty regimen – the world is at your feet.
I have always been enthralled by the sea. What more when one travels aboard a gigantic luxury cruise ship that is actually a floating five-star resort with all the amenities of one’s desire? Hopping from one restaurant to another is truly an epicurean adventure for the cuisine onboard is delightful and you can choose from Mediterranean, Japanese, Chinese, western, Italian and other Asian cuisines.
Initially called "pleasure voyages," the first cruise took place in the early 1800s. However, it was only in 1960 that the modern-day cruise industry began, following the demise of transatlantic ocean liner crossings. Onboard the SuperStar Virgo dressing is more casual and there are no rigid schedules. Cruising is no longer the playground of the retired elite. The industry today is vibrant and alive with passengers of every age and socio-economic background choosing to go onboard.
At 76,800 tons and 13 decks, the SuperStar Virgo is the biggest cruise ship plying the Asian waters. She and her twin ship, the SuperStar Leo are superb cruise ships that belong to the fleet of Star Cruises, the best cruise operator in Asia-Pacific.
Our photographer Ryan Agoncillo, who had 100 roles of Fuji film to capture the experience, happily clicked away as sales executive Jon Basa gave us an ocular inspection of the ship. SuperStar Virgo indeed showcases the best of classical and Mediterranean design with its ambiance and elegant rich wood furnishing. The atrium lobby features fine marble and timber accented by three glass elevators, golden horses and waterfalls that create a refreshing touch. Jon stressed, "When it comes to safety standards, Star Cruises is tops. It is the only cruise line to have its own simulator center, an excellent training facility for its Scandinavian navigation officers." In fact, on the ship’s bridge we had the pleasure of meeting the ship’s Swedish Captain Toivo Norell and our fellow kababayans who are next in line to the captain like Rizalito Ponay and third officer Ador Cenedizo. Norell proudly enthused that his large crew of Filipino seamen are exemplary workers with a very competent knowledge of the sea and their ship.
As Butch Bonsol, Bum Tenorio, myself and our new found friends like Tita Chona Trinidad, Tita Ching Utzurrum, Pia Guanio, Mike Jacob, Rorie Carlos, Joan Bulauitan, Pam Viguera, Noel Ferrer, Mike Gonzales, and Rene Soliman explored the exquisite SuperStar Virgo, we realized the many other reasons to take a journey aboard these luxury vessels on the sea.
Cruising is for everybody. There are activities for families, children, elderly folks and even the physically challenged. If you want healthy food choices, there is a variety as well. The gym, sauna, swimming pools, jacuzzi and recreation facilities will help keep you fit and trim. Since it’s a cashless system onboard, you just get a card where all your extra charges are indicated thus you can really approximate your expenses. Cruising allows you the comfort of getting to your destination relaxed and rejuvenated for sleeping in your cozy room or deluxe suite is like being cradled in the arms of a nurturing mother.
Each time our ship neared the port of call (in Langkawi, Phuket and Singapore), my roommate Butch Bonsol and I would run to our private balconies to enjoy the view and check our messages on our cell phones! This adds another dimension to our home away from home. There’s something quite civilized about sitting on one’s balcony eating caviar and sipping champagne, or having breakfast in some exotic place.
Fit for a king are the SuperStar Virgo suites which are luxurious and spacious. These suites consists of a lounge or sitting room separated from the bedroom by a solid door (not just a curtain); a bedroom with a large bed; one or more bathrooms, and an abundance of closets, and storage space with complimentary champagne, chocolates and fruits.
Indeed, a cruise is a vacation. It is an antidote to the stress and strain of life ashore. It offers you a chance to relax and unwind in comfortable surroundings, with attentive service, good food, and a ship that changes the scenery for you.
For more infor-mation about Star Cruises’ welcome back promo, call 521-5660, 526-8401 or fax 521-5637 or log on at www.starcruises.com.
The author can be reached at Miladay@pacific.net.ph.
With more and more couples honeymooning and single men and women traveling alone, the possibility of a shipboard romance affords a special attraction. Besides, in such a beautiful ship, it’s so easy to fall in love. From my experience of cruising aboard SuperStar Virgo, I dare say cruising is the best there is – an opulent, luxurious vessel where everything works, where accommodating, friendly people and food and entertainment are aplenty. You wake up each glorious morning to watch the sunrise, are pampered with great cuisine all day long in their seven fine restaurants, can party all night at the celebrity disco or be a sportsbuff in the driving range, basketball court, the gym or treat yourself to a beauty regimen – the world is at your feet.
I have always been enthralled by the sea. What more when one travels aboard a gigantic luxury cruise ship that is actually a floating five-star resort with all the amenities of one’s desire? Hopping from one restaurant to another is truly an epicurean adventure for the cuisine onboard is delightful and you can choose from Mediterranean, Japanese, Chinese, western, Italian and other Asian cuisines.
Initially called "pleasure voyages," the first cruise took place in the early 1800s. However, it was only in 1960 that the modern-day cruise industry began, following the demise of transatlantic ocean liner crossings. Onboard the SuperStar Virgo dressing is more casual and there are no rigid schedules. Cruising is no longer the playground of the retired elite. The industry today is vibrant and alive with passengers of every age and socio-economic background choosing to go onboard.
At 76,800 tons and 13 decks, the SuperStar Virgo is the biggest cruise ship plying the Asian waters. She and her twin ship, the SuperStar Leo are superb cruise ships that belong to the fleet of Star Cruises, the best cruise operator in Asia-Pacific.
Our photographer Ryan Agoncillo, who had 100 roles of Fuji film to capture the experience, happily clicked away as sales executive Jon Basa gave us an ocular inspection of the ship. SuperStar Virgo indeed showcases the best of classical and Mediterranean design with its ambiance and elegant rich wood furnishing. The atrium lobby features fine marble and timber accented by three glass elevators, golden horses and waterfalls that create a refreshing touch. Jon stressed, "When it comes to safety standards, Star Cruises is tops. It is the only cruise line to have its own simulator center, an excellent training facility for its Scandinavian navigation officers." In fact, on the ship’s bridge we had the pleasure of meeting the ship’s Swedish Captain Toivo Norell and our fellow kababayans who are next in line to the captain like Rizalito Ponay and third officer Ador Cenedizo. Norell proudly enthused that his large crew of Filipino seamen are exemplary workers with a very competent knowledge of the sea and their ship.
As Butch Bonsol, Bum Tenorio, myself and our new found friends like Tita Chona Trinidad, Tita Ching Utzurrum, Pia Guanio, Mike Jacob, Rorie Carlos, Joan Bulauitan, Pam Viguera, Noel Ferrer, Mike Gonzales, and Rene Soliman explored the exquisite SuperStar Virgo, we realized the many other reasons to take a journey aboard these luxury vessels on the sea.
Cruising is for everybody. There are activities for families, children, elderly folks and even the physically challenged. If you want healthy food choices, there is a variety as well. The gym, sauna, swimming pools, jacuzzi and recreation facilities will help keep you fit and trim. Since it’s a cashless system onboard, you just get a card where all your extra charges are indicated thus you can really approximate your expenses. Cruising allows you the comfort of getting to your destination relaxed and rejuvenated for sleeping in your cozy room or deluxe suite is like being cradled in the arms of a nurturing mother.
Each time our ship neared the port of call (in Langkawi, Phuket and Singapore), my roommate Butch Bonsol and I would run to our private balconies to enjoy the view and check our messages on our cell phones! This adds another dimension to our home away from home. There’s something quite civilized about sitting on one’s balcony eating caviar and sipping champagne, or having breakfast in some exotic place.
Fit for a king are the SuperStar Virgo suites which are luxurious and spacious. These suites consists of a lounge or sitting room separated from the bedroom by a solid door (not just a curtain); a bedroom with a large bed; one or more bathrooms, and an abundance of closets, and storage space with complimentary champagne, chocolates and fruits.
Indeed, a cruise is a vacation. It is an antidote to the stress and strain of life ashore. It offers you a chance to relax and unwind in comfortable surroundings, with attentive service, good food, and a ship that changes the scenery for you.
For more infor-mation about Star Cruises’ welcome back promo, call 521-5660, 526-8401 or fax 521-5637 or log on at www.starcruises.com.
The author can be reached at Miladay@pacific.net.ph.
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