IF all goes according to plan, Malaysia’s first high-end luxury dining cruise, the Penang Princess, is set to be completed and officially launched in 2027.
This development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ocean World Cruises Berhad, Viet Princess Cruiser Corporation, Vietnam Shipbuilding Engineering Group (VISEC), and Ships Classification Malaysia (SCM) on Thursday.
The 61.58-metre vessel will offer fine dining, entertainment, cultural performances, and sightseeing along the Straits of Malacca. Designed by award-winning Vietnamese designer Ngo Thi Quynh Nga, its interiors will blend British colonial elegance with refined Oriental aesthetics, reflecting Penang’s multicultural heritage.
Datuk Yeoh Soon Hin, deputy chairman of Tourism Malaysia and chairman of Penang Port Commission, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said the event marks a new chapter for Malaysia’s maritime tourism.
“This project is not merely about building a ship — it marks the birth of an entirely new industry for Penang,” Yeoh said in a statement.
“This is a new icon for Penang tourism. Penang has long excelled on land. Now, it is time to let the world experience the beauty of Penang from the sea.”
He emphasised that the Penang Princess represents the state’s first high-end dining and sightseeing cruise, a major step in building Penang’s maritime tourism economy and a new bridge connecting Penang to ASEAN and global tourism markets.
He added that the initiative is expected to generate jobs across hospitality, maritime operations, events, and entertainment, while stimulating shipbuilding, logistics, and tourism supply chains. It will also attract high-value international visitors, positioning Penang as a regional leader in luxury maritime tourism.
Present at the signing ceremony were Ocean World Cruises Berhad founder and managing director, Kenny Nye Kay Leong; Viet Princess Cruiser Corporation founder and chairman Truong Quang Coung; Vietnam Shipbuilding Engineering Group’s (VISEC) Le Thanh Hung; and Ships Classification Malaysia (SCM)’s Mohd Mardy Mohamed Rohani.
Kenny first conceptualised a floating dining experience in 2020 when PPC explored converting old ferries into a floating restaurant. Due to the ferries’ deteriorated condition and limitations as stationary structures, Kenny embarked on a new vision: to build a world-class, fully seaworthy luxury dining cruise from scratch.
To refine this vision, Kenny travelled extensively abroad to study international dining cruise models. A key turning point was his connection with Truong Quang Cuong, Vietnam’s pioneer in river cruises on the Mekong River between Vietnam and Cambodia in 2003 and in a luxurious dining cruise on the Saigon River in 2017.
Cuong has been the project director of building new 12 river cruise ships and renovating two river cruise ships in Ho Chi Minh City since 2006
The Penang Princess will be built over two years, backed by a multi-million dollar investment.
VISEC, a leading ship design firm with designers trained in Finland, the Netherlands, and Poland, will provide advanced naval architecture, shipbuilding design, workshop drawings, engineering, construction supervision, safety compliance, and technology transfer.
SCM, as an IMO-recognised Malaysian classification body, will ensure the vessel adheres strictly to international maritime safety, environmental, and operational standards.
The vessel is designed to become a premier venue for sea weddings, corporate galas, cultural showcases and premium tourism events.
With plans for a second Penang-based vessel and eventual expansion to Singapore, the Penang Princess is not just a cruise — it’s the start of a Southeast Asian fleet and a new era for Penang’s tourism ambitions.
Pix courtesy of Ocean World Cruises Berhad