When Meyer Werft of Papenburg, Germany, delivered SuperStar Leo and SuperStar Virgo in 1998 and ’99, a further 4,000 lower berths were added to capacity in the rejuvenated cruise market of South East Asia. Both ships exemplify technology applied to the quest for safety.
These two, SuperStar Leo and Virgo, are each of 75,000grt and carry 2,800 passengers. But the really big ships are yet to come, says Nordh. In 2001 and 2002 we shall take delivery of our two Libra class vessels, of 91,000grt; and in the following two years the two Sagittarius class, each of 116,000grt. All will be classified by DNV. Together, these six, plus six smaller vessels, will enable us to offer 18,000 beds in what we see as a barely-tapped market. The company is also building air-conditioned, 250-passenger first class tenders, similarly to DNV class, to serve the cruise liners.
Market turnaround
At the time of the Asian economic crisis, and despite vigorous promotional efforts by the Japanese in particular, prospects for the Asia-Pacific cruise industry seemed bleak.
Now the tide has turned, and heavy investment is under way in new cruise ships, new terminals and infrastructure, and increasingly exotic shore attractions.
Port Kelang itself, home of the only dedicated cruise terminal in Malaysia able to accommodate ships up to 1,180ft long at its four berths also houses Star Cruises ship simulator centre, first in the world to be owned by an individual cruise line. All the relevant ports visited by Star Cruises vessels can be displayed on the simulator, mostly in South East Asia, China and Japan; the centre is also made available to train staff of other shipping companies.
Star Cruises itineraries are tailored to the local market, entailing a high proportion of relatively short cruises. Among its other home ports is Singapore, whose three dedicated cruise berths were extended last year to handle the largest vessels likely to call; and the line plans to build its own cruise facility at Laem Chabang, Thailand, to supplement the port development currently under way there, aimed at growth in the cruise business to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Technology for safety
Ever-larger, higher-profile cruise ships deservedly attract the media limelight. Despite the industrys exemplary safety record, it is subject to intense media scrutiny of the most minor mishap.
Passenger safety must be foremost, and part of the answer to safety questions lies in new technology. One of these questions is the feasibility of evacuating in 30 minutes as the rules require a cruise ship carrying perhaps several thousand passengers. Such emergency evacuation is a high priority on SuperStar Leo, which was the first such vessel to be fitted with vertical evacuation chutes. Four of these can be deployed in an emergency, each free-falling to sea level and terminating in a floating platform, from which escaping passengers transfer to 50-person liferafts launched at the same time. Under test, 700 crew members successfully evacuated the ship in Force VII conditions; already in place on several ro-ro ferries, these controlled-descent chutes offer a valuable alternative to the potentially dangerous process of lowering passengers in davit-launched lifeboats.
Nils Nordh also points out that at all times two officers are on bridge watch. Not only are they fully certificated, but they have undergone psychological tests like those taken by military aircraft pilots.
Also as on aircraft, there is a black box recorder on the bridge, together with video cameras monitoring all activity on the bridge and in the engine room and elsewhere. The pictures can be accessed at any time, via satellite, at head office.
Safety cannot be compromised, says Nordh. We aim to be ahead of rules and requirements, and to become the worlds safest cruise line.