Pickleball, foam parties: StarDream isn't just about casino and retirees

Refreshing the cruise experience central to the operator’s strategy, says its president

- Kang Wan Chern Deputy Business Editor

StarDream Cruises president Michael Goh on board Genting Dream on Oct 24, 2025. The cruise operator has deliberately moved away from the old perception of cruising as casino-led.

(ST PHOTO: GIN TAY)

For years, cruising in Asia has been boxed into a narrow stereotype, associated mainly with floating casinos, retirees and “cruise to nowhere” trips.

That perception no longer holds, said Mr Michael Goh, president of StarDream Cruises. The industry's future, he reckons, depends less on ships or destinations and more on how deliberately the experience is designed.

“Cruising is not new in Asia. What’s changing is what people expect when they come on board,” he told The Straits Times.

“If people come on board and feel bored, they won’t come back. If we run a cruise the same way we did 10 years ago, we lose the market.”

That emphasis on refreshing the cruise experience has become central to StarDream’s strategy, particularly as it competes not only with other cruise lines but also with every other holiday option available.

The cruise operator has deliberately moved away from the old perception of cruising as casino-led or limited to cruise-to-nowhere offerings. While every ship still has a casino, it now plays a much smaller role within a broader ecosystem of dining, entertainment, wellness and cultural programming.

“Our biggest competitor isn’t another cruise company,” Mr Goh said. “It’s flights, resorts, road trips and staycations.”

REEMERGING AFTER COLLAPSE

That, at least, is the rationale StarDream is running its business by after reentering the industry following a three-year absence between 2022 and 2025.