Ship Tour: continued
SUPERSTAR GEMINI
by Jonathan Boonzaier

SUPERSTAR GEMINI - Star Cruises' little Gem, pagetwo

All photos by and copyright Jonathan Boonzaier 2006, unless otherwise noted.

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Owners: Star Cruises

SUPERSTAR GEMINI TOUR

The SUPERSTAR GEMINI is something of a rarity when it comes to modern cruise ship design. Its modest size allows it to avoid the pitfalls of the larger mega cruise ships as its exterior avoids the cumbersome box-like shape that many of these ships are designed with in order to maximize the volume of revenue-generating space on board.

The naval architects who designed the SUPERSTAR GEMINI have instead been able to give her the handsome lines that are sadly lacking in many of the cruise ships that are being built today.

Like all other Star ships, the SUPERSTAR GEMINI is immaculately maintained, inside and out, thanks to her hardworking Scandinavian officers and Asian crew. It is hard to believe that this is a ship that is approaching 15 years of continuous service.

When first built, the ship was widely criticised for the poor quality of her fittings, finishing and artwork. Ongoing refurbishing has changed that, and resulted in an elegant interior of the same high standard that can be found on Star's larger ships such as the SUPERSTAR VIRGO.

The best thing about the SUPERSTAR GEMINI is her relatively small size Ð nothing is far away from anything else.

The topmost deck, Deck 8, is a popular setting during the day.

A deckhouse under the mast houses the ships health and beauty facilities, with a hair salon, well equipped gym, and an expansive spa offering all sorts of massage and other spa-type treatments. Male and female changing rooms have both dry saunas and steam rooms.

Amidships is the ship's lido area. A reasonable sized fresh water swimming pool, two Jacuzzis and a children's paddling pool are surrounded by an expansive deck area covered in Astroturf, and furnished with plenty of sunloungers.

Nearby, under a canvas awning, is the Pool Bar.

This open-air watering hole is a popular spot during the day, and hosts a well-attended happy hour during the early evenings.

Behind the pool bar is a small card room, a children's playroom and a video arcade.

Despite her small size, the SUPERSTAR GEMINI does come complete with a 5-deck atrium with windows overlooking the sea. A large three-panelled mural by a Malaysian artist depicting tropical scenes lines one wall.

We descend a staircase in this atrium down to Deck 7, which houses many premium grade cabins along with two smaller public rooms.

Close to the atrium on this deck is the ship's library and internet room. When first built this was an extremely pleasant room lined with wooden bookshelves and an extensive collection of books. Unfortunately during the ship's phase as a China-based cruiseship, most of the bookshelves were removed so that the room could be turned into a Mahjong parlour. Today the room has only one small cabinet containing a few paperback novels left behind by past passengers. But, it is comfortably furnished and thus a pleasant place to read in solitude. There are also two internet terminals available for passenger use.

Behind the atrium is the large Fortuna Karaoke Nightclub.

Previously a disco, this room is also another leftover of the SUPERSTAR GEMINI's incarnation as a China-based cruise ship. The room is decorated in a very bright fashion, reflecting modern Asian tastes.

Built into the Fortuna Karaoke are several private lounges that can be hired by groups who want to sing in private.

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