JMAK= : ( ( . / < Tuesday 01 May 2012
Australian growth is world’s highest The number of Australians taking a cruise has skyrocketed since last year – and we’re also cruising for longer, according to a new report. IN 2011, 623,294 Australians took a cruise holiday – nearly 160,000 more than the previous year – a record growth of 34%. By comparison, the world’s largest cruise market, the United States, recorded only 4% increase in passenger numbers, while the UK reported a 5% rise. The latest local figures, released yesterday by the International Cruise Council Australasia (ICCA), mean that 2.7% of the population went on a cruise holiday last year, which places Australia second in the world in terms of “market penetration”. According to the report, the number of Australians taking a cruise has almost tripled over the past five years. ICCA Chairman Gavin Smith attributed the growth to the wider range of ships available locally and overseas, as well as increasing awareness of the “all-inclusive” value that cruises offer. “Every year we are seeing more cruise ships based in Australia and more ships visiting our shores, taking the profile of cruising to new heights and prompting an unprecedented number of Australians to take to the seas for their holidays,” he said. The 2011 Cruise Industry Report also estimated that Australians spent 6.5 million days at sea – up 36% on 2010. Local cruising to Australia, NZ and South Pacific Islands accounted for 70% of Australian cruise guests numbers in 2011, with the South Pacific retaining its position as the most popular destination, attracting 37% of passengers. The number of Australians cruising to New
Titanic II announced AUSTRALIAN billionaire Clive Palmer has signed an agreement with a Chinese shipyard, CSC Jinling, to build the Titanic II. "It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic, but will have state-of-the-art 21st-century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems," said Palmer. According to reports the Titanic II will debut in 2016 with a Trans-Atlantic crossing.
Zealand surged by 80%, largely due to the increase in the number of trans-Tasman cruises. River cruising saw a growth of 22% (almost 35,000 people), accounting for 6% of Australian cruise passenger numbers. Breaking the numbers down by state, ICCA found that 40% of the nation’s cruise passengers live in NSW, 24% in Queensland, 16% in Victoria and 9% in WA. The country’s largest cruise operator, Carnival Australia, welcomed the results as evidence of Australians continued confidence in cruising. “Strong local support for cruising as an exciting holiday choice has led to another year of extraordinary growth for the Australian cruise industry, again confirming it as the standout success of Australian tourism,” the company’s CEO Ann Sherry said. “We have merely scratched the surface of the Australian cruise industry’s growth potential,” she added.
Uncover answers with Adam HAVE you got a few burning questions you would love answered by a cruise expert? If so, this is your lucky month, as Cruise Weekly has enlisted the expertise of Royal Caribbean’s Commercial Manager for Australia, Adam Armstrong, to put an end to your cruiserelated question quest. So, don’t be shy, you may have questions about safety at sea, shore excursions, food, tipping, booking or even specific Royal Caribbean ships, whatever your questions are, CW would like to hear them. So, be sure to send your questions in to expert@cruiseweekly.com.au. For more information about Royal Caribbean visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au.
Brisbane’s cruise boon PACIFIC Dawn’s two-week multi-million dollar refurbishment, currently underway at the Forgacs Cairncross Dockyard, will result in flow on benefits to the local economy, according to P&O Cruises. Around 600 specialist workers will handle the scheduled refurbishment of Dawn, alongside 600 ship crew and the dockyard’s workforce of more than 200, with work including the installation of a giant poolside entertainment screen, ice-cream parlour and new interconnecting family cabins. “Queensland’s cruise industry has boomed over the past five years to a point where the Sunshine State now has Pacific Dawn based here full time and a Princess ship homeported here each summer, so there are massive flowon benefits to local businesses year round,” said Carnival Australia CEO, Ann Sherry. “Refurbishing our ships in Brisbane just adds more money to the local economy.” “What’s more, cruising’s economic contribution in Queensland is forecast to rise to $340.8 million in 2019-20, so the cruise industry has an important future in the state,” she added.
TODAY’S ISSUE OF CW Today’s issue of Cruise Weekly features five pages of all the latest cruise news.
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