Cruise Lines Report Little Effect on Sailings after Killer Tsunamis in Asia

Cruise ships in Asia were relatively unaffected by the deadly earthquake and tsunamis that swept across the Indian Ocean. Star Clippers said Monday that its 170-passenger Star Flyer, which sails regularly from Phuket, Thailand, between December and March, was undamaged and the passengers and crew were safe.

The ship was in Pangkor Island, Malaysia, at the time of the earthquake, “well away from the epicenter,” Star Clippers said. The Star Flyer is scheduled to return to its Phuket homeport on Jan. 8; cruise line officials said the city’s deepwater seaport was not damaged, according to Travel Weekly.

Star Cruises, meanwhile, amended the current voyages of its SuperStar Virgo and SuperStar Gemini to avoid calling in Phuket. “Given the magnitude of the natural disaster ... Star Cruises has decided on the change in the best interests of its passengers,” the line said.

The Seabourn Spirit, which last week was cruising from Singapore to Hong Kong, and Swan Hellenic’s Minerva II, currently sailing in India, continued to cruise without incident.

“The ship reports no sensation of the quake or the tsunami whatsoever,” a spokesman for Seabourn said. The Spirit is scheduled to cruise to Phuket and Yangon, Myanmar, in mid-January. “It is too soon to assess the extent of damages and their affect on that cruise at this point,” the spokesman said.