Tag Archives: Brisbane

Coral Expeditions To Return in January with Coral Adventurer

Posted on by
Reply

Coral Expeditions has announced that the Coral Adventurer will return to operations this January after a ten-month hiatus in her homeport of Cairns.

Having successfully completed an eight voyage season with the Coral Discoverer on the Great Barrier Reef with new health protocols in place, Coral Expeditions is now ready to expand its domestic itineraries with the Adventurer, the company said.

This new series of expeditions involve wilderness coastlines of Australia previously unvisited in the company’s 35-year history.

Jeff Gillies, Commercial Director stated: “As we head into 2021 with ongoing uncertainties for the travel industry, there is no better sanctuary than our own home shores. Our new voyages celebrate Australia with small numbers of local guests and crew traversing a large tract of the continent that we have not explored before on a number of unique voyages between Cairns, Brisbane, Adelaide and Fremantle this summer.”

As with other domestic itineraries, guests will be drawn from the Australian market and capped at under 100. Coral Expeditions operates an all-Australian flagged fleet with an Australian crew. Its proven SailSAFE health protocols, duly approved by all state authorities, will remain in place till risks recede. To assist guests and the broader travel industry in this time of uncertainty, Coral Expeditions will continue offering flexible booking and deposit protection terms.

P&O Australia Expecting ‘Rebound’ of Local Cruise Industry

Posted on by
Reply

P&O Cruises Australia earlier this week announced the next stage of its fleet transformation with both the Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter (ahead of schedule), arriving in the first half of 2021 in a mark of confidence in the expected rebound of the local cruise industry, according to the company.

The ships are the current Golden and Star Princess. The Pacific Adventure will begin sailing from Sydney on April 30 next year and the delivery of Pacific Encounter is being brought forward by at least six months to ensure the local fleet is poised to drive the resurgence of cruising at the right time, the company said.

The Pacific Encounter is scheduled to call Brisbane home from May 7, 2021 – but additional voyages may be added even earlier, depending on the timing of the return of cruising in Australia.

“The arrival of these much-anticipated ships, Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, in the first half of next year represents a step-change for the fleet and a sign of confidence in the market,” P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell said.

“This investment in our fleet is a demonstration that P&O Cruises Australia is ready to lead the industry in bouncing back when government and public health authorities agree it is appropriate to begin sailing again with protocols in place.

“It is also a mark of respect for our many loyal guests as well as crew, fresh food suppliers, entertainers and musicians, shore tour operators and port logistics partners who are looking to be a part of the resurgence of the Australian cruise sector over time.

“These have been challenging times for the entire community and, for our part, we have sought to use this operational pause to fast-track our planned fleet refresh. Our pathway to a return to cruising may be unclear but we wanted to give our guests confidence about our future fleet and our commitment to Australia and New Zealand,”  Myrmell said.

Key Takeaways: 

  • The Pacific Adventure will call Sydney home. Her first voyage is a three-night Short Break scheduled for April 30, 2021.
  • The Pacific Adventure was originally planned to debut in November this year but was delayed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Brisbane’s new international cruise terminal will become the new homeport for the Pacific Encounter. At this stage, her first voyage is scheduled to depart Brisbane on May 7, 2021, and is a three-night Short Break. Additional voyages may be added earlier, the company said.
  • The Pacific Explorer will be homeporting from Auckland, New Zealand from February 6, 2021, to her last voyage on April 25, 2021.

The company, citing COVID-19, also said the watersides will be installed at a later date.

Princess Reveals Five Ship Lineup for Australia Season

Posted on by
Reply
Royal Princess

Princess Cruises has unveiled a five-ship lineup for its 2021-2022 Australia season, including the debut of the Coral Princess and Royal Princess in the local market.

The premium brand will offer 95 different departure dates with homeport options in Brisbane and Sydney starting in late 2021.

Brisbane will see the Coral Princess homeport and the Royal Princess and Emerald Princess will sail from Sydney. Other ships include the Sapphire Princess sailing from Melbourne and the Pacific Princess in Australia as well.

“The first of the cruises being offered is still a year away and two years for the last voyages in the season. We know that many of our guests wish to cruise again when the time is right and it is important that we have options available so that they can plan to resume holidaying at sea. Our new itineraries will give our Australian guests some holiday inspiration for the time when we will all be able to travel again,” said Stuart Allison, senior vice president Asia-Pacific for Princess Cruises.