STAR Cruises is pressing ahead with a £207 million loan to
buy a ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, despite the impact of SARS on its Asian
business.
The flu-like virus has forced Star Cruises to relocate its
two largest ships, SuperStar Leo and SuperStar Virgo, to Australia. But the
cruiseline’s senior vice-president Gerard Lim has claimed SARS is just a ‘minor
aberration’ for the industry.
The loan will pay for a new-build vessel for US-based NCL,
with repayment over 12 years