P&O revitalising domestic tourism by sea
From pioneering cruising in Australia nearly 83 years ago, P&O Cruises Australia are moving into the new era of cruising with a bigger, better product.
With more people cruising for the first time, P&O Cruises have focused on capturing those first time cruisers by matching what contemporary Australians want. The changing tastes and needs of Australia’s contemporary tourist means keeping up to date and staying relevant through food, service and destination offerings.
P&O Cruises senior vice president, Tammy Marshall, said travellers today are more socially diverse, they want change and expect options. Culturally, economically and technologically the cruise customer has changed since ten years ago.
“People are looking for shorter breaks, more holidays taken more frequently,” Marshall said. This has led to the P&O range of short breaks to experience more growth than ever, with the food and wine festivals and event cruises becoming a popular choice.
Understanding the need to change with the times, P&O Cruises will enter the new era with its biggest ever single fleet expansion, adding Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden by November 2015. This will bring the total number of P&O ships cruising in Australia and surrounds to five vessels, cementing its position as the largest cruise line in Australia.
With now eight homeports, P&O brings a strong domestic, costal cruising program. “It’s not just about the Pacific Islands anymore,” Marshall said. However the expansion goes beyond the domestic market. New port calls in its latest 2015-16 program include inaugural port visits to exotic destinations such as Honiara in the Solomon Islands, Jakarta in Indonesia and Ko Chang in Thailand as well as local gems like Hamilton Island in Queensland and Esperance in Western Australia.
Investing in on board product and bringing innovation to Australia and the Pacific has also been a focus for the cruise company. In a revolutionary first for P&O Cruises, they have announced they will banish the buffet on its latest ships. The start of this food revolution is one of the biggest transformations in Australian cruising.
This major overhaul of dining at sea will begin on both Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden, that will feature the largest ever array of restaurant offerings replacing the traditional cruise buffet.
“Guests on Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden will enjoy a dining experience like no other, with our fresh food and stunning d√©cor transforming the way Australia’s cruise passengers dine at sea,” Marshall explained.
P&O Cruises director hotel product development, Ken Flavell, added the new dining experience will have a living room feel to it, and the Dragon Lady, serving Asian fusion cuisine in a sultry setting is “most alluring and a mystical place.”
A new and improved In-Room Service has been developed to cater to guests every whim. The premium in-room service ranges from shoe shines to yoga mats and express ironing to a pillow menu. This will be available across the fleet from December.
Working with the industry, P&O Cruises have released an incentive to help agents grow sales and be rewarded for that. Read more about the latest P&O Cruise incentive here.
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