CW for Tue 20 Aug 2013 - White Bay ferry, P by Cruise Weekly

Cruise W E E K L Y

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Ferry terminal tipped for White Bay Passengers may soon be able to catch a ferry from the city to Sydney’s newest cruise terminal. Carnival Australia ceo Ann Sherry is confident of a new public transport option for White Bay Cruise Terminal, which has been widely criticised for its lack of bus, train and long-term parking facilities.

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Speaking at the company’s partnership summit held over the weekend aboard P&O’s Pacific Pearl, she said the push for ferry links had been boosted by the development of an exhibition centre on the adjacent Glebe Island. From late 2013 to late 2016, Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island will be a temporary home for major events and trade shows, attended by up to 70,000 people, during the construction of a new exhibition and entertainment centre at Darling Harbour. “While the new centre is developed, there is talk of putting a ferry in at Glebe Island, so we will get our ferry, one way or another, within the next year,” Sherry said. Sherry, who strongly opposed the terminal location chosen by the Sydney Ports Corporation, said a ferry would help people who take public transport to board P&O and Princess Cruises ships. “White Bay is Australia’s best bespoke cruise facility – it’s just not quite in the right place. “We are continuing to lobby to get a ferry to stop there and for other public transport options,” Sherry added. The local council has also resolved to step up pressure on the State Govt to open the wharf. Leichhardt Mayor Darcy Byrne said Council would seek a jointly funded traffic study to assess the demand for peak ferry services to and from White Bay. “Our plan to deliver ferry services, reopen Glebe Island Bridge and build a port road can transform White Bay.”

Astor opens sales for 2014/15 STRONG support from the Australian cruise industry has seen Cruise & Maritime Voyages open sales on Astor for its second local season, nearly three months ahead of its debut here. Astor’s second summer based in Fremantle will see the ship operate 15 itineraries starting from 13 Dec 2014, after a 38-night transitional sailing from London on 05 Nov, which will see the ship head to Perth via western South Africa. For more details, visit www.cmvaustralia.com.

P&O adds Margaret River port the scenic West Australian Margaret River region will feature heavily in P&O Cruises 2015 Fremantle program as the line becomes the first to offer ports-of-call to the destination. Ships visiting the port will tie up at Geographe Bay at the historic 1.8km long Busselton jetty the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. Boasting vibrant scenery, the Margaret River region is located approx 2.5 hours south of Perth and is famous for its wineries, boutique breweries and chocolate factories. P&O Cruises senior vice president Tammy Marshall said the region will be a major draw to travellers cruising in the 2015 season. “Sailing to the region by cruise ship is a unique way to arrive in total relaxation without the usual three and a half hour drive there and back from Perth.” Margaret River will be offered on two cruises during the 2015 season, with two sailings to be scheduled in April and May 2015 departing from Fremantle aboard Pacific Jewel. Until then, the line will offer the region as a shore excursion inclusive of visits to wineries, breweries and other local highlights. “Western Australians are going to love this three-night getaway, but I’m sure many interstate visitors will also be just as keen to make sailing to Margaret River a highlight of an extended holiday in the west,” Marshall added. Busselton City Council Mayor Ian Stubbs said he was excited to be able to welcome P&O Cruises’ passengers to the town. “Busselton is a well-established tourist destination rich in history, culture and natural beauty. Arriving at the iconic Busselton Jetty against the blue waters of Geographe Bay, few if any could fail to be impressed,” Stubbs said.

Free flights for Mekong cruise avalon Waterways has launched a special last-minute offer of free flights for passengers on its 14-day Vietnam & Cambodia journey. The bonus is valid for select departures in September & October of its Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & The Mekong River tour, and for more details, phone 1300 230 234.

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Tuesday 20 August 2013

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P&O plans 20 adrenaline activities A ‘Titanic Moment’ on the bow and funnel-climbing are among the secret new activities coming soon to Australian ships. P&O Australia is gearing up to revolutionise its onboard offerings with a range of actionpacked options for adventurous travellers. Hints about the upcoming ‘P&O Edge’ were leaked at the Carnival Australia partnership summit held aboard Pacific Pearl (see page 1) over the weekend. Full details of the program’s 20 activities will be officially unveiled in October. According to industry sources, an “Adventure Park” is to be installed on deck 15 of select P&O ships, equipped with a flying fox, a Segway obstacle course and eight types of climbs up the ship’s funnel, “which put other rock-climbing walls to shame”. Passengers will also have the unprecedented opportunity to re-enact the iconic scene from the movie ‘Titanic’ where Leo and Kate stand on the bow. A photographer is expected to be on hand to capture the “Titanic Moment”, with the photos available for purchase. The third component of P&O Edge reportedly involves the circus rig used on Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl, where passengers can try walking the tightrope or performing a “leap of faith”. P&O Australia is also working with Lego to create an exciting new toy program for younger children in what would be the first

Celebrity shakes up cocktails Thirty new craft cocktails will be added to the onboard menu on Celebrity Cruises, with the new libations to be added to Celebrity Solstice & Celebrity Millennium by year’s end. The line will also roll out an expanded range of non-alcoholic cocktails and an expanded range of international premium beers. Famed cocktail creator Josh Durr of the Hawthorn Beverage Group led the new designs.

“Lego experience at sea”. Stay tuned for further details in October. MEANWHILE, P&O ship Pacific Jewel will this week emerge from a nearly three-week dry dock in Sydney fitted with a host of impressive new features including a dedicated Chocobloc chocolate shop, new nightclub & much more. Once completed, Jewel will be the first ship in the P&O fleet offering a Laser Tag game aimed at players of all ages, located on the top deck. For those seeking a more serene experience, Jewel’s existing child-free retreat, Oasis, will be expanded to now encompass two decks. An Orient Bar will also be installed, bringing the vessel into line with its sister ships Pacific Pearl and Pacific Dawn. Additionally, an LED wall will be added to the Marquee Theatre, while new interconnecting cabin configurations will be possible including quad-quad, twin-quad and twin-twin. For foodies, the menus at celebrity chef Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill will be updated, with a Japanese menu added to the offerings at Luna. “Families will love the interconnecting cabins and we know that Laser Tag will be a big hit with young and old, while adults will have more room to relax in the largest Oasis retreat in our fleet,” P&O Cruises vice president hotel operation Sture Myrmell said.

Mega 2015 HAL Europe season Holland America Line will base eight ships in Europe during the 2014 season, offering 105 departures of 57 individual itineraries, six of which are brand new, the line has announced. Cruises on offer will vary in duration from 7-42 days, with seven brand new ports visited including Antalya, Burgas, Ijmuiden and more. Overnight stays will be enjoyed in 17 ports, with many itineraries able to be extended into back-to-back Collectors’ Voyages. Among the new itineraries will be a special commemorative 70th anniversary sailing for the D-Day Landings, which will travel from Rome-Copenhagen, with a stop in Cherbourg where the famous battle occurred in 1944. For more info, see www.hollandamerica.com.

HOLLAND America Line/Seabourn director of sales Australia Tony Archbold is back this week to answer a second flurry of Cruise Weekly reader questions. Why has HAL decided to amend its popular BYO wine policy? Someone from HAL said this is to bring HAL into line with other lines. In an effort to standardise our policies with industry practices, Holland America Line has adopted the revised policy regarding guests bringing alcoholic beverages on board their cruise, effective on sailings departing on or after January 31, 2014. Our intent is certainly not to downgrade a guest’s dining experience. Our wine list needs to appeal to a broad range of guests and we make every effort to keep the price point affordable and cater to a variety of tastes. We have our standard wine list and a reserve wine list as well as a separate wine list served in the Pinnacle Grill that features excellent and rare wines from the Pacific Northwest. Lastly we add wines from the region we are sailing in to enhance the guest experience. Are you able to tell us about any odd special requests passengers have made for their cabins, any amusing food requests, or any outright dumb questions put to your team? We probably have more unusual requests on our longer Grand Voyages such as a few single guests request that one of the beds be removed from their room and a clothing rack brought in to accommodate their wardrobe. Or we also see a husband and wife purchase separate staterooms because he snores. Also, some guests will only book if they know there is a particular crew member onboard because of the friendship they formed. Sure we get a few questions that seem obvious to some, but not to others, such as “What is the currency in Alaska?” Of course we have also had people ask “Is my balcony above the waterline” or “Can I see fish swimming past my porthole?”

Email your questions for Tony to expert@cruiseweekly.com.au

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cruise W E E K L Y

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Droves attend inaugural Bicton Cruise Expo ESTIMATES of upwards of 1500 people attending the inaugural Bicton Travel Cruise Expo recently were the general norm, with all accounts labelling the event a resounding success. Representatives of many of the world’s biggest cruise lines selling in Australia were in attendance, including Regent Seven Seas, Voyages to Antiquity, Orion, Oceania Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises. For the lines operating primarily overseas, sales reps from major global airlines also exhibited at the show to help people figure out

P O R T H O L E MEN are from Mars, and women are from Venus...that’s hardly a revelation. A Relaxation Report conducted in the US by Princess Cruises in celebration of National Relaxation Day has shown how Americans like to relax while on holidays. The report found that women prefer to spend their vacations cozied up with a good book, while conversely, men would rather cozy up with them. Catching up on sleep was voted as an activity of choice by 25% of respondents. For travellers 65 years and older, sleep is the last thing on their minds, with only 14% of those polled choosing slumber as an activity they would most like to indulge in. According to the poll, men know how to relax better than women, with 45% of gents returning from a holiday relaxed, while 43% of women admitted to feeling like they needed a holiday from their holiday. Delving into the fantasy realm, comedian Ellen DeGeneres was voted as the celebrity a US male would most like to cruise with, closely followed by Taylor Swift & Hollywood screen siren Scarlett Johansson. For the ladies, Australia’s own Hugh Jackman took home the majority of votes.

Did You Know? Blue Lagoon Cruises ♦ Blue Lagoon Cruises' first ship was called Turaga Levu, meaning 'great chief'

♦ The original movie ‘Blue Lagoon’ was filmed in 1948. The founder of Blue Lagoon Cruises, Trevor Withers, lent a hand on set and met and liked the attractive Jean Simmons. It was from this experience that he named his cruising company ‘Blue Lagoon Cruises’.

♦ Blue Lagoon Cruises recently celebrated

how to reach their cruise liners worldwide. Pictured above at the event from left is Faye Larrarte, Regent Seven Seas & Voyages To Antiquity; Steve McLaughlin, Orion; Carole Smethurst, Bicton Travel; Craig Owens, Oceania Cruises; Chrissy Shepherdson, Azamara Club Cruises and Nicole Bennett from Qatar Airways.

Norwegian buys up in Belize Plans for a US$50m cruise terminal in the South American nation of Belize have been unveiled by Norwegian Cruise Lines. The line has purchased a 75-acre portion of land on two adjoining islands that was originally set to become a new holiday resort complete with its own airstrip in a project that never made it off the ground. Whilst official Master Plans are still being finalised, draft outlines indicate the new cruise development will include numerous open-air structures, a floating pier, a village with retail outlets, beach area and transportation area for shore excursions to depart and return. No estimates for an opening date have been released as yet.

Another Tall Ship on its way Indonesian Tall Ship Dewaruci has set sail for Australian shores to participate in the 2013 International Tall Ship Race. The latest addition to the traditionally rigged sailing spectacular will take 60 days to arrive in Darwin, before continuing to Perth, Melbourne, Hobart, Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane and then back to Darwin. During official port visits in Australian and New Zealand docks, the Indonesian crew will promote local holiday destinations including Bali, as well as local culture and artworks.

60 years cruising in the Yasawa Islands and continues to employ only local Fijian residents on board.

♦ Our boutique ship, Fiji Princess is small enough to tie off to a coconut tree – passengers are invited to jump straight from the boat and swim ashore!

♦ The crew will often catch fresh fish straight from the back of the ship and serve for lunch or dinner. We have a saying on board - “The more you eat the better you float!”

♦ Blue Lagoon Cruises supports the Vinaka Fiji Trust which aims to improve the provision of basic needs and amenities in the Yasawa Island villages and schools.

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji sale companion fares on Captain Cook Cruises Fiji voyages departing from 01 Nov to 31 Mar next year have been discounted by 50% under a new sale launched by the company. The special fares are valid on all 3-7 night sailings to the Yasawa Islands and Northern Fiji if booked before 30 Sep. Sales fares start from $746.25pp twin share, and for more details, phone 1300 863 454.

No more butts on Disney ships DISNEY Cruise Lines is stamping out smoking on cabin balconies under a new rule coming into effect from 15 Nov this year. Lighting up will be restricted to certain areas on selected decks on each ship, with a US$250 cleaning fee charged to passengers violating.

RCI upgrades the Caribbean free stateroom upgrades are available for all new individual bookings made in Aug on select Royal Caribbean International departures of 3-10 nights duration to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean from 01 Sep to 30 Apr. Contact your travel agent for more details.

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cruise W E E K L Y

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Cruising’s new destinations by: Louise Goldsbury BEEN there, cruised that? Seeking fresh frontiers on the horizon? Cruise lines are constantly looking for new itineraries to entice intrepid travellers. Here are some ocean and river routes “off the beaten track”, including a few never before offered to Australians.

time next year. Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises, SeaDream, Orient-Express and Scenic Tours are among the more luxurious lines including Yangon on Asian sailings or trips down the Irrawaddy. The pioneer of the region, Pandaw River Cruises, has the most options.

Western Pacific You’ve done the South Pacific out of Sydney or Brisbane, but this Western version is ideal for keen bird-watchers. The cruise starts in the Port of Lyttelton, Christchurch, which allows a rare opportunity to spot petrels & the Southern Royal Albatross as the ship sails north. The odyssey continues to Kaikoura Trench, known for its wildlife, especially the sperm whale, and then through Cook Strait into the Tasman Sea. Other ports of call include Norfolk Island and the Solomon Islands, before finishing in Papua New Guinea. For more information, see www.heritage-expeditions.com.

West Africa An epic 32-day expedition from Cape Town to Morocco sails via the Congo, Sierra Leone, Angola, Benin, Canary Islands, Gambia, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal, Togo, Sao Tome and Principe. Excursions explore the local slave trade, voodoo practices and a chimpanzee sanctuary, as well as wine-tasting, bird-watching and market-shopping. This 2014 cruise departs in April aboard the MS Expedition - head to www.gadventures.com.

Ganges River, India Travelling in India can be hard work, but a river cruise offers an easier way to explore the iconic waterway between Calcutta and Varanasi. A new company, Haimark, is building a luxury ship, the 56-passenger Ganges Voyager, scheduled to debut in 18 months. Formed by former executives of Pandaw River Expeditions, the company is hoping to raise the profile of the sacred river. Before it becomes too popular, take the maiden eight-night journey, ‘Splendors of Golden Bengal: Cruising the Lower Ganges’, departing 3 January 2015 - details at www.haimarktravel.com. Irrawaddy, Myanmar Find ‘the lost Burma’ with several ships visiting Myanmar for the first

River living along the Ganges

Seychelles APT’s new MS Island Sky will operate the 15-day ‘Grand Indian Ocean Safari’ from Mauritius in February 2014. The small vessel can sail into atolls of the Seychelles not accessed by other ships, such as Astove and Aldabra, and the remoter areas of Madagascar. Other ports of call include St Denis on Reunion Island, Alphonse, Poivre and Mahe - see www.aptouring.com.au. Oregon, USA Offering the only cruises from Portland, the 88-passenger replica coastal steamer SS Legacy explores the Columbia and Snake rivers. Seven-day ‘heritage adventures’ trace the paths of early explorers and Native Americans, passing through eight locks. The trip includes a jet boat ride into Hells Canyon and tastings at three Oregon wineries. Head to www.un-cruise.com for details on available departures.

Giant tortoise in the Seychelles

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Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

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