Star Bulk Takes Delivery of Its Second Capesize Newbuilding, Star Polaris

ATHENS, GREECE--(Marketwire - Nov 15, 2011) - Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (the "Company" or "Star Bulk") (NASDAQ: SBLK), a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of drybulk cargoes, today announced that it has taken delivery of the Star Polaris, a 179,546 dwt Capesize newbuilding. The Star Polaris is the second vessel delivered to the Company from HHIC-Phil Inc., a subsidiary of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. The vessel was delivered to its charterer, Louis Dreyfus, and commenced a two year time charter at a gross daily rate of $16,500 with an optional one year at a gross daily rate of $19,000.

Spyros Capralos, President and CEO of Star Bulk, commented: "We are pleased to have taken delivery of the Star Polaris, which has commenced its time charter with such a reputable company like Louis Dreyfus. We believe that this time charter employment increases our future charter coverage and revenue visibility at a time of increased volatility and challenging period rates for the capesize sector. We remain committed to making prudent and accretive acquisitions, in accordance to our goal of increasing long-term shareholder value."

About Star Bulk
Star Bulk is a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector. Star Bulk's vessels transport major bulks, which include iron ore, coal and grain and minor bulks such as bauxite, fertilizers and steel products. Star Bulk was incorporated in the Marshall Islands on December 13, 2006 and maintains executive offices in Athens, Greece. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "SBLK." Currently, Star Bulk has an operating fleet of fifteen dry bulk carriers, consisting of seven Capesize, and eight Supramax dry bulk vessels with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,625,944 deadweight tons. The average age of our current operating fleet is 10.5 years.

Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, examination by the Company's management of historical operating trends, data contained in its records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company's operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company's vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.