Notwithstanding being sans a honeymoon mate, I walked toward the gigantic ship bootlegging the swag of Mark Renton at the end of Trainspotting. Only that time, I was ship-spotting. Unflappably sliding my feet over the smooth carpet of the hallway of HarbourFront in Singapore, I silently declaimed my own version of the film’s famous quote. "Choose Cruise Life. Choose Traveling. Choose a big ship to sail. Choose onboard parties; choose an island to explore." Finding myself separated only by thick glass and a couple of hundred meters of pathway ahead, I stopped in my tracks and laid eyes on the sheer beauty of the docked ship that awaited my first-ever cruise ship experience.
Dear Robin Leach: Cruise Ship Traveling is Not Just for the Rich
The vibe certainly delivered the fervor of choosing life and embracing the good karma unfolding. I was telling myself in disbelief that "I am going cruising," even if I was nowhere near hitting forty years old. Since my younger years, I had always associated that method of traveling with hip retirees and episodes of the late 80s TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, sounding off host Robin Leach’s narration on how one cruise ship trip would cost an arm and a leg for ordinary folks like us. That old-school idea about cruise traveling was nevermore.
Things had changed mightily since then—as millennial travelers and backpackers like me could now easily afford a three- to four-night jaunt aboard those fancy ships such as Star Cruises' SuperStar Gemini.
A Floating Cultural Melting Pot
Rising ten passenger-accessible decks high and spanning 229.84 meters, the SuperStar Gemini could accommodate up to 2,156 guests and 700 crew members. The moment I stepped inside, I felt like I was being transported into another realm—a miniscule city popping with a sparkling setting. As the staff ushered us deeper inside onto the sprawling casino floor and into the Stardust theater lounge, I was immediately astonished.
"Kyla will perform here tonight," a Filipina ship staff member told us. It did not take long for me to notice the presence of many Filipinos working aboard the ship. The lady crew member I talked to briefly, Melanie, told me that more than fifty percent of the ship’s crew were Filipinos. The rest came from different countries in Asia such as Vietnam, Japan, China, Nepal, India, Indonesia, and a lot more. The diverse ethnic composition of the ship’s workforce was enough to create a cultural melting pot where guests could easily feel at home and, at the same time, learn more about the various aspects of Asian culture.
That colorful Asian culture would come into play during the various parties held at night, where Bollywood, Nepalese, Japanese, English, and even Tagalog songs were performed by the musical performers and dancers. Even the cuisines served aboard the SuperStar Gemini’s eleven bars and restaurants were a representation of the rich culinary culture not only of Asia but of the rest of the world.
The ship’s other amenities included a topside pool for both adults and kids, a half-basketball court, Jacuzzis, physical fitness and spa centers, duty-free shops, a hair salon, and various charming corners where one could chill and relax. The onboard atmosphere created a rousing city-like environment where guests could truly enjoy life on the high seas with endless entertainment and heaps of things to do.
Settling into My Oceanview Stateroom
Living a temporary Cruise Life would never be complete without the fancy cabin room. Upon stepping inside my Superior Ocean View Stateroom, my elevated expectations were even exceeded by the appealing interior that greeted me inside. Ergonomically spread out and designed to provide adequate space for a convenient set of movements, my room was highlighted by the floor-to-ceiling glass window that afforded a beautiful view of the blue waters of the sea and the HarbourFront hub of Singapore.
I stood by the window for a few minutes and stared at the fading skyscrapers of Singapore in the distance and the waters of the Malacca Strait ahead. Looking down, I noticed the calm manner in which our ship was threading the deep waters—like a hot knife cutting through butter, we sailed smoothly. "This is not bad," I told myself. "In fact, it is effing amazing."
I sat on the couch near my bed and settled my things. Checking my clock and realizing not even an hour had passed, a burst of excitement shot up my body. I became giddy with anticipation of the other fun events about to happen over the course of our four-day cruise ship adventure.
Food-Tripping and the Epic Pool Party
What was there to do aboard a ship that would sail overnight to its first destination of Penang, Malaysia? It turned out there were oodles of things to do and sumptuous cuisines to try on the ship. Our first morning could not have started more festively when a simple chill-out at the upper deck main pool instantly became a 10:00 AM pool party.
A member of the ship’s crew played music on the elevated platform—blasting off a blend of American pop songs and Bollywood music. In no time, it infused a revelry vibe into the sunny morning. Not long after, my fellow travel writers and I were strutting dance moves near the pool as another crew member of the ship hosed us down with water. As more kids jumped into the pool, some of their parents joined the mini pool party, and even passing guests would look at us with a bright look of marvel on their faces. 10:00 AM aboard SuperStar Gemini just became one epic Pool Party.
Of the eleven bars and restaurants on board SuperStar Gemini, at least four restaurants served complimentary buffet meals: Bella Vista (Western food), Mariners (Asian), Dynasty (Chinese), and Oceana (nighttime barbecues and cocktails). We would be seen huddled around a table at each of these four restaurants every day—enjoying a good old talk about whatever over plates of sumptuous dishes.
Sandwiching the parties and witnessing the other on-ship events, food-tripping became a favorite activity of ours. The fusion of cultures aboard SuperStar Gemini was not only present in the diverse composition of its crew; it was also on display in the many delectable cuisines served on board.
Nightlife Pirates of the Malacca Strait
The expansive Stardust Lounge was the place to be when nighttime fell. The first night, we watched Kyla, the Philippines’ R&B Princess, perform romantic songs while playfully mingling with the crowd. Earlier in the night, illusionist couple Richard Burr and his enigmatic wife, Josette, wowed the crowd with some of their magic tricks.
The next night we became witnesses to a spectacular acrobatic slash musical show showcasing elegant movements, sultry singing, and the colorful radiance of beaming lights. We capped our second night with a 'Neon Party' that lasted just after midnight.
There was no downtime aboard the ship, as during the afternoon, film showings were held inside the Stardust Lounge. There were also a few entertaining games the guests could participate in, such as the Lip Sync Battle where my fellow travel writers Gael, Carla, and Edgar performed as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Elvis Presley, while I joined Christian, Alexa, and Mervin cheering for them.
My favorite was the adult show Marionettes. Featuring most of the male and female performers of the previous nights' acrobatic and musical shows, the spectacle showcased an artistic set of graceful choreography and stunts that made you appreciate the cast's inventive performances and made you even forget that most of the female stars appeared on stage topless. Well, sort of in my case, because as amazed as I was with the performance, I still dreamed about one of the female stars during my sleep that night.
On our last night, we rolled at least three parties to bookend our wonderful experience; kicking off with the Captain’s Cocktail Party and onto the Gala Dinner and Show, we partied with other guests and the on-ship entertainers and hosts for the finale: the Grand Farewell Party.
Shore Excursions: Penang and Langkawi
The onboard happenings at SuperStar Gemini seemed to have brought out our party instincts so much that we almost forgot about the shore excursions that awaited us at our daily dockings in Malaysia. Our first stop was the UNESCO World Heritage city of George Town on Penang Island. We explored the city both on foot and by riding a rickshaw, thus affording us a feel of the place fused with lovely influences of its colonial past and of modern times. The next day we docked at the island of Langkawi, where an outdoor jaunt aboard a small speedboat took us to the karst-infested surroundings of Kilim Geoforest Park. Among the places we visited were a limestone cave and a fish and eagle sanctuary.
Is Cruise Ship Traveling Worth the Try?
My answer to that is an 'absolutely, positively resounding yes'. I noticed the rest of the guests were a mixture of retirees, young couples, families, and groups of friends. That fact assured me that the prevailing idea of cruise ship travel was not anymore reduced to groovy retirees, of titas and titos and the like. Cruise ship traveling had become this wonderful option to bond with your loved ones and friends—or better yet, a special someone.
As I walked out of the ship for one last time after we docked back at HarbourFront in Singapore—and yet again minus a girlfriend—I told myself to experience another get-go at cruise living in the near future. Hoping next time, it would be with a honeymoon mate. "Choose life, choose a girl to cruise with, choose Star Cruises." I smiled at the idea, and as I turned my head for one last look, I saw the gigantic SuperStar Gemini gleaming its lights against the dark skies—appearing before me not only as a picture of a marvel of marine engineering but also of a blissful place that sailed in the middle of the sea.
SuperStar Gemini Cruise Blueprint
SuperStar Gemini - Star Cruises
5/F Star Cruises Centre, 100 Andrews Avenue, Pasay City,
Metro Manila, Philippines
Contact: (+63) 836.6830 to 32
Email: salesmanila@starcruises.com
Website: starcruises.com
