Hwajing Travel's SuperStar Libra Cruise Experience

SuperStar Libra. (30 September, 2017)


To many a people, a cruise is nothing but a waterborne Macau or Las Vegas. They may have gone on cruises more than once, and that's what they have come to expect. After all, there are people who go on cruises for that sole purpose. They have no interest in what a cruiseliner can offer. They have a "job" to do, and all they care for, is get that done.

Such people bring home a somewhat skewed perception of cruises which they spread to their family members and friends. Perceptions are formed by experiences, and while these people's cruise experience may be true, it is not the type of cruise experience which Hwajing Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd want to offer its guests. Don't get me wrong. I am not against cruiseliners being an arena for gaming, but when that overshadows the joy of taking cruise vacations, it's time to adjust the picture.

At Hwajing Travel & Tours, a cruise is not about going from one destination to another. Why should we take a cruise to go places, when we could do the same thing much faster by flight? People who truly appreciate cruise vacations understand that the cities the cruise liner visits are not the purpose of taking the trip. On a cruise vacation, the journey is the destination.

To deliver that message, Hwajing embarks on a program to give bloggers that very cruise experience. After all, what better way to get that message across than via social media?

As a blogger specialising in travel, I have enjoyed the hospitality of some of the best hotels in the country. But I have never been invited for a cruise experience before. And as I have no interest in gaming, I have never booked a cruise package either. Until I could not imagine why anybody would want to be cooped up in the same place for days on end. Would I be bored to death? Having said that, I do look forward to new experiences. So when I learned that Hwajing Travel & Tours is doing a cruise entitled Mid Autumn Celebration At Sea, on board the SuperStar Libra, I expressed interest to join in.

SuperStar Libra at Swettenham Pier in George Town, Penang. (30 September, 2017)


The SuperStar Libra is one of the cruise liners belonging to Star Cruises. It was built in Turku, Finland, in 1988 and was originally called Seaward. It is 709.64ft (216.3m) long and 107.09ft (32.64m) wide. It travels at an average cruising speed of 17 knots. There are 10 decks, so it is almost like a 10-storey floating city. The SuperStar Libra has 718 cabins and can accommodate 1,436 passengers. There is a total of 8 f&b outlets spread out all over the ship. On board facilities include two swimming pools, two hot tubs, a fitness centre, a spa, a basketball court, a golf putting green, an observation deck, a shopping arcade, a beauty salon, a medical centre, a Karaoke lounge, and a 555-capacity theatre. There are two bars and a number of lounges scattered at different parts of the ship. The bar on Deck 9 is called Pool Bar, as it is next to the swimming pool, while the one on Deck 10 is called Coconut Willy. There are two categories of cabins, namely the Staterooms and the Suites, both subdivided into a few types.

Embarkation was smooth. Upon boarding the SuperStar Libra, we were relieved of our passports and given a smartcard which serves as our on board identity card as well as cabin access keycard. This was followed by a Welcome Party with an address from Mr Kenny Cheong, the Managing Director of Hwajing Travel & Tours. Light refreshment with fruit juice and punch were served. We were informed that free wifi would be available as soon as the ship left port and were reminded to turn off our mobile data, to prevent an expensive data roaming bill. There is a notice mentioning the availability of GSM roaming and 3G service. The free wifi is a special privilege to us. Normal guest have to pay RM38 for a full day surfing. They may enjoy 2 hours of free surfing when they order a cup of coffee at some of the dining outlets on SuperStar Libra such as at Crystal Court.

WMS International Roaming Service Notice. (30 September, 2017)


Mr Kenny Cheong, Managing Director of Hwajing Travel & Tours, addressing the social media delegates. (30 September, 2017)


Penang bloggers at the Welcome Party. (30 September, 2017)


Welcome drinks and cakes. (30 September, 2017)


At 4:30pm that day, even while the ship was still berthed at Swettenham Pier, there was a mandatory safety drill which all passengers had to attend. This is conducted whenever there are new passengers on board. None of the in-flight safety drills that I have undergone approaches this cruiseliner drill in its thoroughness. As the ship arrives at a different port every day, this safety drill is conducted on a daily basis, so that every new passenger has the chance to attend it. To make sure that every passenger attends, during the drill all restaurants and facilites are closed.

Safety drill on the SuperStar Libra. (30 September, 2017)


We were segregated into groups and taught how to don the lifejackets, what to do in the event of an evacuation, and to board the lifeboats as well as inflatable rafts in an orderly fashion. Of course, this was carried out under a best-case scenario, idealist situation, and an actual situation might differ greatly from this, but at the least, I drew confidence that the cruiseliner makes safety at sea a paramount issue, and conducted the drill professionally.

On the top deck of SuperStar Libra, with Penang Harbour in the background. (30 September, 2017)


When the safety drill was complete, I realised that the ship has left port and was cruising out the North Channel between Penang Island and Penang Mainland. It was a beautiful day, and I could see Gunung Jerai with clouds over it over on the horizon. In order to reach Port Klang, it has to circumnavigate Penang Island, and that rewarded us with gorgeous views of our home island, from locations we have never seen Penang Island before.

My wife and I on board the SuperStar Libra, with Penang Island in the background. (30 September, 2017)


At 5:00pm that evening, we all gathered at Crystal Court on Deck 4 midship for a cabin tour. On this tour we were taken to see various types of suites in the ship. We visited the Junior Suite, which has been done up into a honeymoon room. We also saw the Executive Suite, the largest suite in the ship.

The Junior Suite, done up specially for honeymooning couples. (30 September, 2017)


The Executive Suite, with its large, flat-panel television set. (30 September, 2017)


It was such a beautiful day and we literally sailed into the sunset. On board, activities were happening simultaneously at different parts of the immense cruiseliner. My wife and I were on Deck 10, which is the top deck, and offers a bird's eye view of the pool and dance floor on Deck 9.

On board the SuperStar Libra, as it heads towards Port Klang. (30 September, 2017)


Live entertainment on board. (30 September, 2017)


Dancing the night away. (30 September, 2017)


There are many dining outlets at SuperStar Libra, but the most elegant is without doubt the Four Seasons Restaurant, on Deck 4. This was where we enjoyed dinner on our first night. The restaurant is geared for fine dining. All its serving stuff is attired in black tie, and have undergone specialised training.

Dinner that evening was a four-course Malay cuisine. Entitled Spices Gala Menu, it starts with an appetizer, comprising papadam, preserved fruits, kerabu kacang botol and herbs or ulam with sambal belacan. This was followed by chicken soup with spices. Then came the main course. Called Melody of Malay Combo, it comprises lamb kurma, spicy lobster, fish curry and honey chicken, served with ghee rice and stir-fried vegetables. The meal concludes with a dessert comprising a mixed fruit platter and sago gula melaka. The course are refillable, meaning, if you particularly enjoyed one of the items, you are allowed to request for refill.

The main course of Spices Gala Menu comprising lobster, chicken, lamb and fish, with briyani rice and stir-fried vegetables. (30 September, 2017)


My wife about to attack the lobster. (30 September, 2017)


The highlight of the meal was of course the lobster. Each diner gets half a lobster. My favourite item, though was the honey chicken, which was so tasty. As I looked around me, and saw that the entire restaurant was closed to all other passengers except our dining party, I realised at that moment that within the same ship, there were passengers that boarded on a budget cruise package, and we, as guests of Hwajing Travel & Tours, were being shown the 1st Class cruise experience.

I was to get a taste of the budget cruise experience the very next morning. We have a choice of several dining outlets. Some offer free meals while some are chargeable. On our second day, we decided to have our breakfast at Mariner's Buffet, on Deck 9, and is one of the main dining outlets on the ship. Well, it was like a canteen. Although it was quite big, it could barely contain all the passengers coming to dine there. When we arrived, we saw that all the tables were already occupied. We were forced to sit on Deck 9 at tables placed outside the restaurant. It was quite warm over there - but then again, it was quite warm within the air-conditioned Mariner's Buffet also. Had we known better, we would have chosen a more refined dining outlet, but at that time, we thought the Mariner's Buffet was the only breakfast outlet available.

Having breakfast on Deck 9 outside Mariner's Buffet. (30 September, 2017)


The ship publishes a daily journal called the Star Navigator. In it is listed the opening hours of every dining outlet as well as show times at the various theatres. Some of these are free while some are chargeable. We did not have much time to spare. We hurriedly finished our breakfast, then proceeded to get ready to disembark the ship, for it has arrived at Port Klang.

The SuperStar Libra had travelled through the night, and by early morning, had arrived at the Boustead Cruise Terminal in Port Klang. After we have had our breakfast, we were transferred to a coach which brought us to the Klang old town, where we were dropped off in front of the Klang Railway Station, to explore the town for a few hours.

I have been to Klang a number of times, so it is not new to me. In fact, I have a huge backlog of photos about Klang to be uploaded to my Klang Travel Tips, but haven't found the time to do it. Nevertheless, this shore excursion resulted in yet some more Klang photos.

Hundreds of passengers awaiting to clear immigration for boarding the SuperStar Libra at the Boustead Cruise Centre in Port Klang. (30 September, 2017)


We got off the ship at 8:14am, and reassembled outside the Klang Railway Station at 12:30pm, but only boarded the ship past 2:00pm. We spent over an hour at the Boustead Cruise Centre. The long wait was due to so many passengers awaiting to board the SuperStar Libra, that we were segregated into groups.

Later that evening, we visited Stardust Lounge, where we were given a back stage tour of the theatre by the Audio-Video Production Manager. We had a chance to see the dressing rooms used by the performers, and the sound and light equipment for the shows.

The highlight that evening was the Mid Autumn Celebration At Sea. We were served with very nice tea and mooncake. This event was hosted by celebrities from the Mandarin-language radio station AiFM. The TV crew from TV2 was also present, so the event was later featured on the 8:00am Mandarin News over TV2 on 4 October, 2017.



The next morning, we were given a tour of the bridge, which is the pilot house in front of the ship. We were split into two groups and taken to see the controls, the radar, sonar, GPS, stablisers that ensure that the ship cruises smoothly in the right direction.

Another highlight of the day was the Hwajing Royal High Tea. This takes place at the Four Seasons Restaurant, and is available by invitation only for special guests of Hwajing Travel & Tours.

We were served a three-tier array of entrées, hors d'œuvre and cakes. Among the items include prawn fritters, quiche, tart topped with ratatouille, camembert cheese on rye roll, crème brûlée, macaroons and scones. Everything was very delicious (with the possible exception that the scones were a bit on the hard side). The tea served is Twinnings which we often get at upscale hotels. We were given a choice of teas. Both my wife and I opted for Peppermint. As with the Spices Gala dinner, the items for Royal High Tea are refillable, but we only managed one round.

I have experienced such high teas like this before in five-star hotels but this was the first time I have experienced in on board a cruiseliner. There was nothing quite to compare with enjoying tea with my wife while watching the sea through the window. It was a most memorable moment, and I am truly grateful to Hwajing for the experience.

Enjoying Royal High Tea with butler service on board the SuperStar Libra. (30 September, 2017)


Time moves fast when you are having fun, and within a short while, we were already approaching Phuket. Like Klang, Phuket is nothing new to me, as I have visited it several times before. I had wanted to spend some time exploring the Phuket Old Town, but judging from the wet weather, and the short amount of time available, I decided that I would just join the rest of the group in taking the coach to Patong Beach. As it turned out, we spent almost the whole time within Jungceylon Shopping Centre, and enjoyed outselves immensely. We had a lovely meal at Fuji Japanese Restaurant (it has become customary for us to visit a Japanese restaurant at least once whenever we visit Thailand, for the Japanese restaurants over there are generally better than those back home) and afterwards, we went to Swensen's for its Durian Ice Cream, which was also most satisfying.

A night out at Jungceylon in Patong Beach, Phuket. (30 September, 2017)


Our fourth and final day on board the SuperStar Libra arrived all too soon. That morning, we were taken for the galley which is the kitchen that serves all the food to the guests. We were hosted by Chef Lim Eng Seng, the executive chef who hailed from Penang. He took us around and showed us how the entire kitchen functions.

Chef Lim Eng Seng, the Executive Chef of Four Seasons Restaurant on board the SuperStar Libra. (30 September, 2017)


We had our final meal on board the SuperStar Libra at the Four Seasons Restaurant. It was a four-course lunch, and again, one of the memorable meals of our trip. It comprised an appetizer, followed by soup, then a selection of main courses, and ends with a dessert. For the main course, both my wife and I had the Grilled Fillet of Sea Bass, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fine dining on the high sea: Grilled Fillet of Sea Bass. (30 September, 2017)


As Penang Island appeared over the horizon, I began to feel sad that our cruise vacation was nearing the end. It has been such a wonderful experience, and once again, we express our thanks to Hwajing Travel & Tours for giving us the opportunity to experience quality time on a cruise.

Group shot at the Galley of SuperStar Libra. (30 September, 2017)

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