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Ship Tour: continued
SUPERSTAR GEMINI
by Jonathan BoonzaierSUPERSTAR GEMINI - Star Cruises' little Gem, page three
All photos by and copyright Jonathan Boonzaier 2006, unless otherwise noted.
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Owners: Star Cruises
SUPERSTAR GEMINI TOUR
Deck 6, another deck comprising mostly of cabins, is also the location of the Mariners Buffet Restaurant.
The buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as morning and afternoon teas. In between meals, passengers are free to help themselves to an array of teas and freshly brewed coffee.
The excellent cuisine served in the Mariners Buffet is reflective of the strong emphasis Star places on serving high-quality cuisine on its ship. Buffet menus are changed daily, and the quality and variety is far superior to that served by many other mass market cruise lines. The cuisine is best described as international, although true to the company's Asian heritage, many popular oriental delicacies are also offered.
Aft of the Mariners Buffet is the Mariners Patio. Located on a series of open air terraces overlooking the stern, it is a popular place to eat al fresco. It is an especially pleasant place to have dinner during the evenings when the temperature cools off, and the sun sets, creating pink skies and golden seas.
The social hub of the SUPERSTAR GEMINI is deck 5.
The ship features a full wraparound outdoor promenade deck, and is one of very few ships that allows for unimpeded access to the tip of the bow.
Inside the superstructure, more delights await.
The SUPERSTAR GEMINI's main public room is the Galaxy of the Stars.
Laid out showroom style, this oval room is the scene of many entertaining evening shows. Forsaking the usual bland Broadway-style song-and-dance routines, Star Cruises offers instead an interesting variety of shows ranging from Brazilian dancers and Chinese acrobats to individual cabaret acts, crew shows (always good when there is a Filipino crew on board) and colourful folkloric shows. Daytime activities tend to be low key, geared mainly to the older clientele.
The next stop on our tour of Deck 5 is the Gemini Bar, an attractive room that draws the crowds both day and night.
The Gemini Bar is a bright, sunlit lounge and bar that is split by the deck's main thoroughfare. It is an especially sociable spot as the chances are that everyone will pass through the room at some stage during the day.
Sociability aside, the Gemini Bar is also a popular venue because of its excellent Filipino band that plays in the evening, and an extensive menu of exotic cocktails, gourmet coffees and finger food snacks.
Located aft on Deck 5, behind the casino and a small but well stocked gift shop, is the business hub of the SUPERSTAR GEMINI, the purser's office.
The charming men and women manning this desk, like all the crew on board the Gemini, are exceptionally polite, efficient, professional, and well groomed. They are a true asset to the company, and reflect the high hospitality standards that Star insists upon on board all its ships.
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