[Redang Island] Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo

One month after our amazing vacation at Bali, we scooted off to a short getaway via Star Cruises SuperStar Virgo! Now, this is actually the third time I’m getting on Star Cruises so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Went around to take a couple of pictures before the ship got REALLY crowded!

Not gonna write too much here. I’ll let the pictures do the talking!

After we boarded the ship, the first area we arrive at the main reception area – Grand Piazza.

Here’s an aerial view of the solo performer on saxophone as the guests boarded the ship.

We were cruising on Balcony Class, and were entitled to a glass of champagne or fruit punch.

A shot of the long corridor – all peaceful and quiet for now.

A sharp contrast to above, the corridor right outside our cabin was pretty dull looking.

We had already checked in out luggage, but they’re not at our cabins yet. Opening the door to our cabin, the size of the room reminded me of the room at Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. It was nice and bright, though.

Some basic amenities like instant coffee and tea are provided.

A small dressing table / work desk with some tidbits for sale : S$3 “only”!

A sofa that can be converted to a bed if the room needs to accommodate three persons.

Let’s turn down the global warming with our very own climate control!

The bathroom was so tiny it was a little claustrophobic!

Not enough distance to take a good picture – I had to use weird angles to try to fit in everything.

One thing about the bathroom – I’m not sure whether it was accidental but used towels were removed when the room was tidied up, but not replaced. We found it a little weird but didn’t bother about it since it was only a two-night trip.

The balcony is child-safe and takes quite some effort to gain access to the balcony.

Noticed a ship anchored next to the cruise ship. Maybe it was re-supplying the cruise ship with fuel or water?

Lovely view from our balcony as we sailed in international waters.

Apparently, there had been some renovation works on SuperStar Virgo and one of the enhancements is this mega slide at the top deck.

The Bingo slips of paper we bought. No luck with them.

The daily itinerary given to each cabin detailing the activities on the ship.

On the first morning, we ate at the Bella Vista. Basically, we get to order what we want from a slip of paper. Other food items like pastry are served buffet-style – we could take as much as we want.

One thing we couldn’t stand was the excessive hawking of paid items like fruit juice. During every meal, we would inevitably be asked whether we want to order any drinks. Kind of profit-oriented, I would say.

On the second morning, we ate at the Pavilion restaurant instead. As we were queuing to get into the restaurant, the staff at the reception greeted a Caucasian who was in front of us, but said nothing to us.

Uh-oh. Not the best way to run a cruise ship, huh?

One of the perks of staying in a Balcony-class cabin is that we were given $100 dining credits. Spent it all at the Noble House (Chinese restaurant) when we ordered a set meal for lunch. It was the best food I had on the cruise!

Our cruise stopped at Redang island, and we went down for a little while since we have not visited Redang island before.

Besides utilizing the ferries, a couple of the “escape pods” were used to ferry passengers to and from Redang island.

It was only a few minutes walk to the beach after we landed at Redang island. Those who did not wish to walk in the heat could take a free ride.

The beach! The weather as great, the sand was powdery, and the view was magnificent.

Just .. too many people, I guess.

Stalls selling food and drinks were set up to cater to the influx of cruise passengers.

Snapped a picture of the resort accommodations Redang island.

Ah. How nice it would be to spend a little time doing absolutely nothing by the beach.

Overall, I would say that the cruise on SuperStar Virgo hasn’t sprang any surprise, and it was exactly what I have expected.

The service was OK, but nothing excellent or outstanding – definitely some hits and misses. We didn’t like the fact that the staff on the cruise seemed to be trying too hard to make us spend more. If the chance comes again, I’ll probably go for Royal Carribean instead!