Billion dollar smartship makes maiden port call to Port Klang

The 18-deck USD1 billion (RM4.06 billion) vessel arrived on a three-night cruise from Singapore carrying 4,576 guests, which is the largest number of guests ever on a ship to call at any Malaysian port.

Dubbed as the smartest ship and the biggest ship in Asia, the ship features North Star, a jewel-shaped capsule offering 360 degrees view of the sea, a skydiving simulator and virtual balcony staterooms with real time ocean views.

Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director (Singapore and Southeast Asia), Sean Treacy said Ovation of the Seas which weighs 168,666 tonnes with 2,090 staterooms is the newest addition to Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class line of technologically-advanced smartships.

"The 347m long ship offers the most relaxing and luxurious accommodations at sea and is filled with technologically-advanced innovations in entertainment and culinary which will bring excitement to the guests on board and redefine cruising in the region. "Malaysians will have more chances to experience this ship again next year when she returns for 10 more Southeast Asian sailings from March to April 2017," he said in his welcoming address on board the ship here.

Also present were Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim and Port Klang Authority chairman Tan Sri Kong Cho Ha. The three-night cruise from Singapore was part of Ovation of the Seas' 52-night Global Odyssey from Southampton, England to Tianjin, China.

Next year, she will offer return trips from Singapore ranging from three to five nights to Penang, Phuket, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), and a one-way cruise to Tianjin with calls at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) for an overnight, Hue/Danang (Chan May), Hong Kong and Seoul (Incheon).