SUPERSTAR GEMINI INAUGURAL HOMEPORT DEPLOYMENT IN PENANG
SPEECH BY CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
AT SUPERSTAR GEMINI INAUGURAL HOMEPORT DEPLOYMENT IN PENANG
7 November 2018 (Wednesday)
Good evening.
Yang Berhormat Senator Puan Lim Hui Ying
Ms. Cynthia Lee - Vice President of Sales, Genting Cruise Lines
Captain Christian Westergren of SuperStar Gemini
Encik Syed Naser bin Syed Ibrahim – Senior Corporate Manager of Penang Port Commission
Dato’ Syed Mohamad bin Syed Murtaza - Chairman of Penang Port Sdn Bhd
Heads of Departments
Media friends
Trade partners
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
First and foremost, let me extend a very warm welcome to Star Cruises, a member of Genting Cruise Lines.
We are very pleased that Star Cruises is back in town with another ship, SuperStar Gemini and to choose Penang again as one of her homeports in Malaysia for the current deployment until 28 April 2019.
Many of us Penang locals are too familiar with the sight of a Star Cruises ship at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal, especially with SuperStar Libra that was here until mid of this year.
Hence, today’s welcome ceremony is indeed a joyous occasion as another of Star Cruises ship, SuperStar Gemini arrives in Penang as part of her maiden voyage from Port Klang, bringing in both local and international passengers to our beautiful island.
Penangites as well as international travelers can also choose to embark SuperStar Gemini from Penang at various departures, making Penang an ideal cruise hub for the region with tourists having more exciting options as part of Penang’s appeal as a tourist destination.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we all know, Penang is a place that lives up to its reputation as one of the most popular and beautiful destinations in Malaysia and the world.
Penang is home to many marvelous sights and natural wonders, retaining its old-world charm while developing a modern cosmopolitan atmosphere, complemented by beautiful beaches, lush greeneries rich with flora and fauna and of course exquisite food, that is unique only to Penang - winning numerous international awards and recognitions.
And what better way to discover Penang than a cruise vacation to Penang with the cruise terminal strategically located in the island and minutes away from various popular attractions in the capital city of George Town.
Penang continues to record promising growth in the tourism industry, including for the highly potential cruise tourism sector.
Last year, Penang received over 1.2 million cruise visitors via Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal, making it Malaysia’s major cruise tourism hub. Penang has indeed much to offer and we are always happy to welcome our tourists’ friends from across the region and globally.
With Star Cruises’ long history with Penang stretching all the way back to 1994, bringing-in over millions of passengers to visit Penang, we thank Genting Cruise Lines and Star Cruises for their ongoing commitment in promoting Penang as a cruise hub and destination to the region and the world.
With the current deployment of SuperStar Gemini in and to Penang, let us continue to work closely to showcase Penang to the world and make Penang an important cruise hub/ and circuit for the region and for many more international cruise lines.
With that, I thank Genting Cruise Lines and Star Cruises for their ongoing support and for choosing Penang as one of their latest homeports and destinations in 2018 and early 2019.
Once again, thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening.