Should I Go on This Cruise?
You love to travel and a sea cruise sounds fun. But you don't gamble and hates the idea of sitting by the pool all day long.
You looked around and the Star Cruises Superstar Libra 4D3N Penang-Phuket-Krabi-Penang cruise looks affordable. But you are not sure if it will be worth going.
Don't worry. I was on this trip before and I will share with you my experience. I will list out the activities and entertainment that are free that you can take part. These will keep you occupied right into the wee hours of the night. Free, because it is already included in your cruise fare and you don't have to pay a single cent more. There are also activities that you have to pay such as the spa and adult show etc. I will cover this in a separate article.
For now, let's check out the free activities.
Superstar Libra Itinerary & Activities for the 1st Day
Sail Date: 28th September - 1st October 2014
The followings are the activities during our sail dates. Yours might differ, but I doubt if there are major changes in the format.
Activities Before the Ship Sails
Registration and check in starts at 1pm and ship sails at 5pm. Before the ship sails, these are the things that you can do:
1:00pm until 3:00pm This is when Star Cruises hold their crazy sale. You get to enjoy discounts on many of their merchandize. Venue: at Crystal Court on Deck 4 Mid
1:00pm until 4:00pm: If you missed lunch or are still hungry, don't worry. Afternoon snacks are served at Mariner Buffet for halal food (Deck 9 Aft). For non-halal food, go to Ocean Palace (Deck 4 Aft) or the Four Season (Deck 4 Mid).
2:00pm until 4:00pm: If you have kids with you on this cruise, register them for Junior Cruisers Registration. Venue: at Crystal Court Deck 4 Mid.
4:00pm: If this is your first trip on a cruise, join this First Time Cruisers Information and Ship Tour. Assemble at Activity Centre at Deck 5 FWD.
4:45pm: This is the time slot for Safety Drill and it is mandatory for all passengers to attend. You are to assemble at your respective assembly point, which is written on your name tag/access card. It is also shown on the safety posters inside your cabin. Please bring the life jacket that is in your cabin with you. You will learn how to put on the life jacket and what to do when you are in trouble.
5:00pm Yahoo!! The ship finally sets sail for Phuket and Krabi. Looking forward to all the excitement and fun.
Activities for the First Night on Superstar Libra
5:00pm - 5:45pm: This is the Welcome Aboard Sail Away Party, a fun and colorful welcome party for all the passengers. Held at the Pool Deck at Deck 9 FWD, the party kicks off with previews of shows and entertainment that will be held during the four-day cruise. It ends with song and dance by the crews and some of the fellow passengers.
6:00pm - 9:00pm: BBQ dinner is served right after the Welcome Aboard Sail Away Party. Venue: at Pool Deck with live entertainment by the in-house band.
6:00pm - 8:00pm: For children that are registered with Junior Cruisers, the activities are:
- Young Sailor's Fun Time for the 1 - 4 years old
- Kiddie Chef Class for 4-12 years old
Venue: at Child Care Centre at Deck 3 FWD
8:00pm - 8:30pm: If you are still undecided on the shore excursions for Phuket and Krabi, listen to this tour talk. Venue: at Stardust Lounge Deck 5 FWD.
Superstar Libra Showtime for the First Night
8:45pm - 9:30pm: Magic Show by Richard Burr, assisted by his wife, Josette. This time slot is for the first show. As Stardust Lounge (at Deck 5 FWD) cannot accommodate the 1000+ passengers in one seating, the show is split into two slots. The second show comes in at 10:30pm until 11:45pm
Meanwhile, for passengers waiting for the second show slot, they can do the followings:
9:00pm onwards: Listen to Asian Favorites with the Scream Band. Then, listen to ballroom music at Star Club 2 or Classic Melodies with the Tetrachords trio at the pub, Coconut Willy's, at Deck 10 FWD.
9:30pm - 10:15pm: Celebrity Jackpot Bingo, if you want to indulge in 'mild gambling'. It was actually billed as "Celebrity Jackpot Bingo with Justin Bieber, Superstar Libra version". Not sure how it was done as I wasn't there to see and share!
10:00pm - 12.00mn: For the drinkers, this is your timeslot. House pouring spirit or wine and selected cocktails at 50% off!
10:00pm - Midnight: If the adults are all having fun, what about the kids? Well, they have, and kids sleep late on this cruise! Their Junior Camper Activity for the first night is Ice-Cream Party at the basketball court Deck 6 Aft. This starts at 10:00pm until midnight!! Wow, some party!
10:00pm until 12:45am at various venues: Choice of:
- Mellow music with Class of Six Show Band or
- Romantic melodies with the Tetrachords Trio or
- Teens karaoke jamming with the cruise staff or
- Chinese danceable hits with the Scream band and later, slow jam with the Scream band.
11:15pm - 11:45pm: The second round of celebrity Jackpot Bingo is back and this time, it is with Shakira! At Stardust Lounge Deck 5 FWD
12:00am - 12:45am: Late Night Party with the cruise staff at Pool Deck, Deck 9 FWD.
12:00am - 2:00am: If you still cannot sleep and not into the casino game, then go to Stardust Lounge Deck 5 FWD and watch movie for today. For this slot, it was 'Winter's Tale', a love story starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay and Russell Crowe. I didn't watch it, but comments from friends that saw it, loved it. I guess romantic movie is perfect when you are on a cruise.
Itinerary & Activities for the 2nd Day on Superstar Libra
Official ship activities start at 9:00am. If you are an early riser you can jog or take brisk walk on Deck 6 and watch the beautiful sunrise and breath in fresh ocean air.
Benefits of Fresh Ocean Air
You must have heard the many benefits of fresh ocean air, but if you have not, these are some of the benefits of salt-air therapy:
- Aid in the treatment of respiratory problems such as asthma, sinus, etc.
- Will soothe irritated skin
- Will thin mucous
- Will reduce coughing
Now that you know, don't forget to breathe in as much of the fresh ocean air when you are on this cruise!
9:00am - 9:45am: Join this Morning Dancercise with the cruise staff held at the Pool Deck, Deck 9 FWD for some stretching. On our cruise date, we did PSY's Gangnam style dance.
9:30am - 10:30am: Cooking class at the Pool Bar on deck 9 Aft. It was Tom Yum dish during our sail date. This will be followed by Fruit & Vegetable Carving Demonstration. For kids, they have their own cooking class and it was on cookies & cake decoration, also held at the pool bar.
9:45am - 10:30am: Another chance to lose that extra body fat and do your morning exercise. This time, it is the Aquatic Sports Game at the Pool Deck.
11:15am - 11:45am: Enjoy more games and activities with this Family Fun Time with the cruise staff, also at the pool deck.
12:00pm onwards: Disembarkation for Phuket shore excursions. You must be back onboard by 10:00pm or you will miss the boat! If you do, you can call Superstar Libra GSM number +60172095516. Before you disembark, they will give you the local port agent mobile numbers. So, you can also call these local port agent if you cannot reach Superstar Libra GSM number. Likewise for the Krabi disembarkation.
For passengers that opt to stay onboard, there are several activities from 2:15pm onwards: For our sail date,
- You can try Singapore Merlion making, then go for
- India's lotus flower making, followed by
- Indonesia mask making demonstrations
At 4:00pm, you can watch the movie 'Veronica Mars' at Stardust Lounge. From 4:45pm, you can sweat out for the table tennis challenge at the pool deck.
Showtime for the Second Night on Superstar Libra
All passengers who disembarked for Phuket should by now be back on board Superstar Libra by 10pm. So what happened if they don't? Tough luck mate. You have to find your own way to the next port of call, Krabi!
10:30pm - 11:15pm: Showtime "Colors of Asia'. Performed by the ship's crew, it is a medley of Asia's song and dance. The show from Thailand is probably the best skit with three of their male staff dressed in drag!
10:30pm onwards until 1.15am: Otherwise, you can join the Scream band and listen to Easy Listening medley. Followed by Chinese and Oriental serenade.
1:15am - 3:05pm: Still not sleepy yet? Then go and watch 'Muppets Most Wanted' movie at Stardust Lounge at Deck 5 FWD
Superstar Libra Itinerary & Activities for the 3rd Day
Third day is Krabi day. Passengers who wish to do the onshore excursion at Krabi must collect their tendering stickers. These are issued from 6pm onwards, on Monday.
Waters surrounding Krabi jetty cannot support large cruise ships. So, Superstar Libra will anchor about 30 minutes away from Krabi shores. Guests will then be "tendered" to shore on assigned tender boats based on their tendering stickers.
9:00 am - 9:45 am: Ship will arrive at Krabi at about 10:00am. In the meantime, you can join the cruise staff for Cha-Cha Dance Class at the Pool Deck (you should know where by now).
10:15am onwards: Passengers are to assemble at Crystal Court Lobby Atrium for disembarkation to Krabi based on their their respective tendered time. Activities in Krabi will depend on your option that you had selected. I will write a separate article on shore excursions to Krabi, so keep a watch out for it. Passengers are to be back onboard Superstar Libra by 5:30pm.
1:15pm - 6:45pm: If you opt to stay onboard, these are the activities that you can take part right until 6:45pm. (your sail dates might have different activities)
- India's Bangle Making
- Singapore's Lantern Making
- Watch movie: Endless Love
- Malaysian Hat Making
- Karaoke jamming with the cruise staff
- Towel origami to create rabbit, elephant, monkey and more
- Join the Class of Six Show Band for some light music
Superstar Libra Showtime for the Third Night
6:15pm - 7:30pm: Gala Cocktail Party at Stardust Lounge. It will start with an introduction to the Superstar Libra management team. Then, ballroom dancing with the cruise staff. The party will end with moonlight rendezvous with the Tetrachord Trio Band.
7:00pm: Ship leave Krabi shore for the return journey to Penang.
7:30pm - 8:15pm: Gala Showtime, 'Simply the Best'. As the lounge is unable to accommodate all passengers, the performance is split into two shows. The second time slot is from 9:30pm - 10:15pm.
6:45pm: 1st sitting for the Gala Dinner at your predetermined restaurant. 2nd sitting will at 9:30pm. This is THE dinner with the ship's management team and you are to be in your best attire.
8:15pm - 9:00pm: In between the first and second Gala Showtime, you can take part or watch 'The Game of Love Show'.
8:00pm onwards: If you are not keen to watch these shows, you can join the bands for:
- Classic Oldies
- All Time Favorite
- Rhythm and Jazz or
- Chinese Top Hits at various venues and time slots.
11:15pm - 11:45pm: Enjoy your last night on Superstar Libra for the Viva De Libra Farewell Party with the Cruise Entertainment Team.
1:30am - 3:10pm: The last movie for the day was The Lego Movie
Itinerary & Activities for the Fourth Day on Superstar Libra
This is the last day onboard Superstar Libra. The ship will arrive at Penang Port only at 12:00pm. In the meantime, these are the things that you can do:
9:00am - 9:45am: Enjoy Line Dancing with the cruise staff at Pool Deck area
9:45am - 10:30am: Then, enjoy 'Pool Fun Time', also with the cruise staff.
10:00am - 11:00am: For the kids, try the technique of pizza making.
11:00am onwards: Get ready for disembarkation. You must settle all your bills, preferably by last night, before you can collect your passport. Passport collection starts at 9:00am. I suggest you be there early to join the queue as it can be a long and slow wait. You can collect on behalf of your dependents, but you must bring along their access cards.
Meal Time on Superstar Libra
By the way, mealtime for all the days onboard Superstar Libra are:
- Breakfast from 6:30am until 9:00am
- Lunch from 12:00pm - 2:00pm
- Dinner from 6:30pm until 9:30pm
- Supper from 11:30pm until 12:30am
Paid Activities and Shows
This article highlights only the 'free' activities and entertainment shows, which are already included in your cruise fare.
Activities, services and shows that are payable, will be written in a separate article. See the Related Searches section, for link to this article.
Ready to Go on Superstar Libra Cruise?
There you are. Didn't I tell you earlier that your time will be fully occupied throughout your journey on Superstar Libra? Should you choose to gamble, you too will be busy at the casino. All I can say is, good luck mate!
Now is your time to decide whether to go or not to go on this cruise ship. If you want my opinion, I say to give it a try. I bet you will enjoy it.
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