Just Cruisin’

SuperStar Libra is much more than a floating five-star hotel, discovers Hazel Jain on her short cruise from Mumbai to Goa

Standing adjacent to the 42,000 gross tonne vessel, I took some time to take in all that was before me. At 216 meters length and 28 meters width, it was difficult to do so at once. Fortunately, I could afford to just 'stand and stare' before boarding the SuperStar Libra because I checked-in early and escaped the tedious wait in long queues.

I was on my way to Goa and since this was to be my first trip on a ship, I had packed in motion sickness tablets, tanning lotion and a lot of apprehension. But like all other things in life, they proved to be futile in hindsight. For one, I needn't have worried about being seasick because (as I later learned) most ships today have stabilisers that keep them from rocking violently.

My first impression of the ship as I boarded her was of awe and undisguised curiosity. I was simply overwhelmed. SuperStar Libra is beautiful, well maintained and quite an eyeful although I've been told that SuperStar Virgo is more striking. As I entered the lobby, I was welcomed literally at every other step; the liner apparently maintains a staff to guest ratio of 1:2 at all times. Impressive. What I also found quite remarkable is that it has a crew of 16 different nationalities - a textbook example of international integration, aye!

The interior of the ship was as impressive and as I sauntered to my cabin, I was anxious to know what I would discover. I wasn't disappointed. It would have been crowded for three and just enough for two. But it was perfect for a single person, cosy even. It had all the facilities that a hotel room would offer, except perhaps room service. And don't even get me started on the bathroom - tiny but well planned with enough space to move freely.

Later that evening, I was introduced to the rest of the group that had been invited onboard. We were to have dinner at Taj By The Bay, one of the five restaurants onboard, and of all the things that I was expecting, a 'thali' was surely not one of them. Star Cruises has obviously tried to adapt itself to suit Indian tastes. The food, the facilities and the entertainment to an extent have been realigned for mass appeal. It has therefore, among other things, introduced 'freestyle cruising', which means that nothing onboard is de rigueur, not even the dress code. As a business model, this most certainly makes sense. But this changes the entire ethos and manner of traditional cruising and puritan seafarers probably frown at such radical alterations.

Despite such transformation, Indians need to take cruising in the right spirit. Safety drills, for instance. It is mandatory for every liner to conduct such drills at the outset to familiarise guests with the dangers and the safety precautions while onboard. Sadly, I found very few fellow passengers taking it seriously; some even thought it a waste of time. Sigh!

Sailing Away

Later that evening, whilst dining, we gradually realised with a creeping fear that every single piece of cutlery, steel and otherwise, was vibrating with such fierce regularity that we looked around for some kind of evidence that we were in troubled waters. But the composed look on the face of the servers didn't give way to distress and we resumed supping, albeit not without hesitation. The ship was finally leaving the dock.

SuperStar Libra is well equipped for entertainment and we were audience to a fantastic show by dancers from Europe, Brazil and Yin Chuan Acrobats from China. At other times, it has magic shows, interactive games, theme parties, and Broadway shows, including a Las Vegas-style topless show. One could also play table tennis, basketball, or practice putting.

However, considering that unlike in a hotel, we were completely confined to the ship, I felt that having strict timings for facilities was taking it a bit too far. After all, one dislikes being time bound when on a holiday. Also, I was not much impressed by the vegetarian food over the two days that I was onboard. But they did have a huge spread of desserts for all meals.

The outdoor swimming pool	Oceanview Stateroom with Porthole
Four Seasons restaurant for Continental cuisine	Fitness Centre
Beauty Salon	The Saffron restaurant for Indian vegetarian and Jain buffet

While In Goa

When one thinks of cruising, one imagines luxury amidst blue seas. And that is what one really gets here. It is a luxury to sunbathe on the topmost deck while the soft winds caress the hair off your face, to be able to jump in a pool on a whim and listen to sea splash against the hull while reminiscing. But sometimes you tend to forget that you're on a liner; I had to continuously glance out the glass window to remind myself that I was at sea.

This is why it is probably meaningless to opt for a Star Cruises Goa package unless your main intention is to experience the cruise liner. One doesn't go for the destination but for the cruise experience. You get only about nine hours overboard, which would include the time taken to travel out of Vasco da Gama city if you want to go anywhere else. Star Cruises, however, offers different offshore packages at a price and guests can choose any one of them.

Our little group headed towards the Queen of all Goan beaches, Calangute. And although it had too many tourists for comfort, I sensed a certain calm as I lay there soaking in all the sun. I suspect I came close to what Browning must have felt when he made Pippa sing 'God's in his heaven, All's right with the world'. A brief visit to Fort Aguada after lunch and we were back on the ship, not knowing whether we were ready to leave Goa just yet. Too much of a good thing is never enough!

The highlight of the cruise was, however, the Bridge tour and we were obliged only because we were media; otherwise it's a restricted area. The walk to the Bridge in itself is very exciting, with the white and blue colours of the ship merging with the poignant blue sea and the clear white skies. Our captain, Magnus Gottberg, was kind enough to explain to us, in his charming Swedish accent, the technique of navigating the ship. It was extremely endearing to hear him speak about the ship, as if she were a woman he dearly loved.

Galaxy Of The Stars offers cocktail with live entertainment	Junior Suite
Twin Hot Tubs

Back To Mumbai

One always wishes for a smooth ending to a happy story. But I was disappointed. As we neared Mumbai around noon on the third day noon, the crew decided to close all restaurants by 1.00 pm. Guests obviously panicked at this and before you knew, the buffet table was lined with hungry passengers, some even pushing others to get that extra helping.

This was probably a result of them being busy in settling their bills. Every transaction onboard is cashless and passengers need to pay their bills on the last day. This is a great idea but unless the crew is equipped to handle the last-minute rush, they must consider other options. Either that or have more than two counters because one doesn't want the crew to get edgy under stress.

But all said and done, being on a cruise is an event worth experiencing. A pointer for those who might be interested: an experienced cruiser always asks for the tonnage of the ship. So the next time you board one, you know what to ask.