Penang is about to welcome a brand new addition to its waterfront choices, with Malaysia’s first luxurious eating cruise — the Penang Princess — focused for completion and launch in 2027.
The venture moved a step nearer after Ocean World Cruises Berhad signed an MoU with Viet Princess Cruiser Company, Vietnam Shipbuilding Engineering Group (VISEC), and Ships Classification Malaysia (SCM). In brief, the staff behind this ship brings critical maritime and design expertise to the desk.
The Penang Princess will probably be a 61.58-metre vessel providing high-quality eating, leisure, cultural performances, and sightseeing alongside the Straits of Malacca. The interiors, designed by award-winning Vietnamese designer Ngo Thi Quynh Nga, will combine British colonial touches with Oriental particulars — a nod to Penang’s multicultural roots.
On the signing ceremony, Datuk Yeoh Quickly Hin — who’s each Tourism Malaysia’s deputy chairman and chairman of the Penang Port Fee — referred to as this a “new chapter” for Penang’s maritime tourism. Based on him, Penang has all the time shined on land, and it’s time for guests to expertise the island from a special angle: the ocean.
Past the approach to life enchantment, the venture additionally carries financial weight. The cruise is predicted to create jobs in hospitality, maritime operations, occasions, leisure, and varied supply-chain sectors. It additionally goals to attract higher-value guests and place Penang as a regional participant in luxurious maritime tourism.
Curiously, the thought didn’t begin from constructing a grand cruise ship immediately. Again in 2020, Ocean World Cruises founder Kenny Nye explored turning Penang’s outdated ferries right into a floating restaurant. When that wasn’t possible, he shifted to an even bigger imaginative and prescient — constructing a totally seaworthy eating cruise from scratch. His analysis journeys abroad finally linked him with Truong Quang Cuong, a pioneer in river and eating cruises in Vietnam, who introduced many years of expertise into the venture.
Development will take round two years and includes a multi-million-dollar funding. VISEC, identified for its naval structure experience, will deal with the ship design and engineering, whereas SCM will make sure the vessel meets worldwide maritime security and environmental requirements.
When accomplished, the Penang Princess is about to host all the things from sea weddings and company galas to cultural showcases and high-end tourism occasions — including a brand new layer to Penang’s evolving waterfront way of life.
