This was published 7 years ago
Ocean Cruises: Record number of ships in Australian waters
By Sally Macmillan
Celebrity Solstice at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal.
This summer, a record number of ships have been cruising in Australian waters – more than 40 have been in and out of Sydney Harbour alone and eight of them are first-time visitors. Last year more than a million Australians took a cruise and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia estimates that the cruise industry now generates $4.58 billion a year in "economic output".
While this is great news for the economy, cruisers and the cruise lines, Sydney's popularity as a cruise destination puts the spotlight on the battle to fit ships into the harbour's limited port space. Ships that are small enough to sail under the bridge can dock at the White Bay passenger terminal (two at a time in busy periods) and one ship can dock at the Overseas Passenger Terminal (OPT) at Circular Quay. That leaves ships anchoring at Athol Buoy, off Taronga Zoo, which is not practical for embarking and disembarking thousands of passengers and their luggage.
Adam Armstrong, Royal Caribbean Australia and New Zealand's managing director, has said the cruise line could berth another ship the size of its 2850-passenger Celebrity Solstice in Sydney if there was enough room. "The demand is there from international visitors for Celebrity Solstice from the US, UK and Germany." Royal Caribbean has been looking at alternative ports in NSW such as Wollongong and Eden and for years the cruise industry has lobbied for the navy's Garden Island, but perhaps there is another solution.
Radiance of the Seas pool and spa deck.
Last year, in a first for Sydney's ports, two ships docked at the OPT at the same time and shared the space for a day when White Bay was fully booked. This was possible only because both were small ships; Ponant's 264-passenger Le Soleal is 142 metres long and Azamara Club Cruises' 686-guest Azamara Quest is 180 metres long. It wouldn't work for ships the size of Royal Caribbean's 347-metre-long Ovation of the Seas or Cunard's 345-metre-long Queen Mary 2, but staggering ships' arrival and departure times could be an answer.
A "stacking" system that involves two ships using the OPT – one arriving in the early hours, and one arriving just after lunch – has the potential to double the almost 300 cruise ships a year calling at Sydney, according to a recent report in Cruise Passenger. Double-stacking in 24 hours at the OPT has recently been trialled – on February 1, Seabourn Encore arrived 60 minutes after Emerald Princess left the OPT.
CLIA Australia's managing director, Joel Katz, says it is vital that the issue of inadequate infrastructure is addressed "to ensure the Australian cruise industry meets its growth potential through the deployment of newer and larger ships in the region".
"The industry eagerly awaits the release of the NSW government's 25-year cruise plan for discussion," he says. It is due to be released anytime.
MEET THE CREW
NAME Steve Davis, from the US
POSITION Cruise director, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas
MY JOB … is to create, schedule and manage the ultimate guest experience. People cruise to have fun! Whether through live music, enticing activities or spectacular shows, the cruise director leads the entertainment onboard. It's a great job that rarely feels like work.
A TYPICAL DAY I spend my mornings in the office programming the entertainment and then it's out onto the "floor" socialising with guests and running activities. In the evening, I host shows, mingle at cocktail parties and lead dance parties and theme nights.
FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT Getting covered in whipped cream during the Captain's Cake Decorating Challenge. While challenging the captain to decorate a cake, I usually end up with more whipped cream on me than the cake. It's a riot!
FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT There is nothing more special than sailing into Sydney Harbour, with the Opera House on one side and the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the other.
INSIDER TIPS The more you get involved, the more fun you will have!
TIP
Check with your cruise line or travel agent well in advance of your departure date about what visas you will need to enter overseas countries – rules change frequently.
NEWS
Latitude 33 celebrates its first birthday
Luxury travel company Latitude 33 is celebrating its first birthday by offering clients $500 credit towards their next journey and a bonus of $500 for bringing a friend. An exciting new itinerary for 2017 is the 18-night Amazon, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca cruise tour, hosted by British TV presenter and wildlife expert Nigel Marven. "I'm really excited about this South American journey," Marven says. "We're visiting some brilliant sites, some I've visited before, others are brand new. Pink dolphins, sloths and toucans in the Amazon are old friends." The fly-stay-cruise tour for 18 guests starts on September 6 in Santiago and among the highlights are a three-night Peruvian Amazon cruise onboard Delfin II, a Vistadome train trip to Machu Picchu and a motorboat cruise of Lake Titicaca. See latitude33.travel
Bravo!
Music lovers, get ready for the first UK Bravo Cruise of the Performing Arts – the elegant, 2886-passenger Celebrity Silhouette will set sail from Southampton on May 19, 2018, with a full complement of international stars from musical theatre, classical music and opera. Headlining the musical program is Welsh superstar mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins, OBE; among the many performers joining the cruise are world-renowned tenors Alfie Boe and Wynne Evans, popular music-theatre singer Ruthie Henshall, Australian-Dutch soprano Mirusia and the Jonathon Welch choir. The seven-night cruise will call at Vigo and Bilbao in Spain and Cherbourg in France. While in Bilbao, guests will enjoy a private tour and reception at the famous Guggenheim Museum. See cruising.com.au
Oceania cruises Cuba
Oceania Cruises has added more cruises to Cuba in November and December and its boutique 684-passenger ship Insignia will call at Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba for the first time – as well as offering two days in Havana on select itineraries. "There is tremendous demand for voyages to Cuba and our inaugural voyages to the island have been a sellout success," says Bob Binder, the line's president and chief executive. Cienfuegos, known as La Perla del Sur (the Pearl of the South), was founded by French settlers and its city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, while Santiago de Cuba is the country's second largest city and has played an important role in the evolution of Cuban music, literature and architecture. Cruises range from six to 13 days, round-trip from Miami. See oceaniacruises.com
DEAL OF THE WEEK
A 17-night Pacific Rim voyage from Vancouver to Tokyo onboard the newly refurbished Celebrity Millennium is one for cruisers who enjoy plenty of sea days. Ecruisetravel's fly-stay-cruise package includes flights from Sydney to Canada and back to Australia from Tokyo, plus one night's accommodation at Shangri-La Vancouver and Shangri-La Tokyo with airport transfers. The trans-Pacific voyage includes a port call at Dutch Harbour in Alaska then crosses the International Date Line to visit Otaru and Hakodate in Japan before a full day and overnight in Yokohama near Tokyo. From $3799; phone 1300 106 466. See ecruising.travel
MORE DEALS
CRUISE EXPRESS' 19-night Voyage of the Kings fly-cruise-tour itinerary includes a two-night stay at Engelenburg Castle in the Netherlands and a 14-night round-trip cruise from Amsterdam onboard HAL's new ship MS Koningsdam. The ship visits ports in Scotland, Iceland and Norway plus the Norwegian fiords. Departing Australia on August 3, fares start from $9990; phone 1300 764 509. See cruiseexpress.com.au
CRUISE 1ST is offering a 14-night fly-tour-cruise package to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska, departing Australia on August 29. Fares start from $4099 and include a six-night coach tour of the Rockies and a seven-night Alaska cruise, round-trip from Vancouver, onboard Celebrity Infinity. Offer subject to availability; phone 1300 596 345. See cruise1st.com.au
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