Star Pisces

The 1990-built Star Pisces cruise ship was owned by GHK (Genting Hong Kong, part of Genting Group Malaysia) and managed by GHK's subsidiary Genting Cruise Lines via the Star Cruises brand. Fleetmates were SuperStar Aquarius, SuperStar Gemini, SuperStar Libra.

The vessel (IMO number 8710857) was last Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311000164) and registered in Nassau. The previous flag-state was Panama (MMSI 352861000).

History - construction and ownership

Star Cruises is part of Genting Cruise Lines (subsidiary of GHK-Genting Hong Kong Corporation) - the world's 5th-largest cruise shipowner, after Carnival Corporation, RCG-Royal Caribbean Group, MSC and NCLH-Norwegian. The company (listed on Singapore Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange) dominates the Asia-Pacific cruising market. Star Cruises was established as a subsidiary and travel brand of Genting Group of Malaysia (incorporated in Bermuda in 1993), with corporate headquarters in Hong Kong China.

The fleet's first ships were two cruiseferries bought from Rederi AB Slite (1947-founded/1993-bankrupt, see VIKING LINE). In the following years, Star Cruises purchased several other second-hand ships, then followed two newbuilds - SuperStar Leo/Norwegian Spirit (1998) and the sistership SuperStar Virgo (1999).

In late-April 2022, was announced that the docked in Malaysia ships Star Pisces and SuperStar Gemini (both in George Town Penang) and SuperStar Aquarius (in Port Klang) are listed for scrapping and soon to be beached at Alang India. According to online media sources, the liners' last crew signed off on May 17th, as new/skeleton crew were hired to take them to the scrapyard for dismantling and recycling.

The 32-year-old Star Pisces left Penang on May 29th, arriving at Port Klang's anchorage on May 30th. On June 2nd, the ship left Klang en route to Colombo Sri Lanka, arriving and anchoring off the coast on June 14th. On June 21st, the ship arrived and anchored off Port Cochin India.

Star Pisces' AIS transmitted for the last time on July 12, 2022 (at 19:03 UTC) showing the vessel anchored off Alang. later on the same day, the ship was beached and the dismantling started.

The 1900-passenger ship Star Pisces was originally designed as the cruiseferry "MS Kalypso" and built by Masa-Yards (Turku Finland) for Rederi AB Slite's brand VIKING LINE. In 1993, Star Cruises purchased Kalypso (Star Pisces) and the sistership Athena (Star Aquarius/Pearl Seaways). Both vessels are easily recognized by their funnel design. Star Pisces was the first with such design. Later the company based all of its ships on the Star Pisces' funnel design.

Decks and Cabins

Star Pisces staterooms (776 total) are in 13 categories. The largest accommodations are the Genting Suites (600 ft2 / 56 m2). While most cabins are relatively small, they are efficiently laid out and have all the modern amenities expected of newer ships.

The boat has 12 decks, of which 90 are passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Star Pisces is operated as a "freestyle" cruise ship, which means passengers have the choice to dine when, where and with whom they choose. All food presentation is a treat for the eye.

Follows the complete list of Star Pisces restaurants and food bars.

• Mariners Restaurant (Buffet-style restaurant, offers International cuisine of high quality with fresh ingredients - a hallmark of Star Cruises)
• Ocean Palace (Chinese cuisine restaurant with a selection of Cantonese specialties)
• Tai Pan (a la carte Chinese restaurant, a section of Ocean Palace for more upscale Chinese cuisine)
• Rua Thai (serves authentic Thai cuisine)
• Umigawa (a la carte Japanese Restaurant)
• Blue Lagoon (serves fast food and snacks).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

After Star Pisces was purchased by Star Cruises, the cruise company took a decision to refurbish and enter it to service in Hong Kong (1994). During the years Star Pisces was sailing near the waters of Hong Kong. Star Pisces remains popular. Every time she sails at almost full capacity. Star Pisces cruises South China Sea for one night - the best getaway for fun-loving travelers who prefer a short trip to enjoy a lively atmosphere over the weekend.

The Galaxy of the Stars presents the "Carnaval De Brazil" production show with very talented dancers from Brazil and Europe performing famous street and Latin ballroom dances. More entertainment is to be seen in the Galaxy show lounge with the Summer Star Canton Band, performing three sets nightly.

Follows the complete list of Star Pisces lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Star Club; Star Karaoke
• The Health Club; Oscar's Beauty Salon
• Star Boutique
• Maxim's Lounge; Premium Club
• Entertainment Lane; Piano Bar
• Genting Palace; Genting Club; Genting Lounge
• Galaxy of the Stars
• Pool Deck, 2 pools, 3 Jacuzzis; Sun Deck; Star Track.

Itineraries

Star Pisces itinerary program was generally based on Southeast Asia short breaks/mini-cruises with homeport Hong Kong visiting ports in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia. Occasionally, the ship offered 3-day/2-night roundtrips to Xiamen China.

Following the Coronavirus crisis, Star Pisces restarted operations on December 22, 2021, with a Malaysian deployment based on roundtrips from homeport Georgetown (Penang Island, Malaysia). The ex-Malaysia program included the 2-night/3-day itinerary "Langkawi Escape" alternating with the 1-night/2-day itinerary "Straits of Malacca".