Australia is “hot property” for cruising

Australia is “hot property” for cruising

This week welcomes in a massive week of cruising, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Aussies love their cruising, and as a result, it has fuelled the nation’s biggest ever summer cruise season – go Australia!

A record fleet of cruise ships will sail down under over the coming months, including a number of newcomers, clocking up 38 member ships of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia.

Eight of these will be making their maiden visit to Australia, compared to three last year.

CLIA Australasia’s commercial director Brett Jardine said the growth in maiden ship visits was another clear indicator of the surging popularity of cruising.

“Cruise lines around the world are looking for new destinations and new homeports for their ships – and Australia is hot property right now,” Jardine said.

“Not only do we have fantastic ports to visit and great weather, we also have a population that can’t wait to cruise, and that’s encouraging more cruise lines to send more ships our way.”

Jardine said the eight ships making their maiden visits this summer ranged from superliners to boutique-sized ships, providing a wide range of cruise experiences.

“The huge range of ships now calling to Australia just illustrates that cruising is popular across all age groups and holidaymaker types – there really is a cruise ship for everyone.”

More than one million Australians took a cruise in 2014, with Australia leading the world in terms of growth in cruise passenger numbers and market penetration.

CLIA’s new cruise season statistics, which coincide with the start of CLIA’s fourth national Cruise Week promotion, show that between the 38 ships sailing down under, they will make more than 800 calls to Aussie ports.

The cruise season will kick off with the arrival of Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess in Sydney on September 29, with the ship based in Sydney for a season of 14 cruises over summer.

The bumper 2015-16 season will see Azamara Club Cruises make its first ever call to Australia with its ship Azamara Quest arriving in local waters in January 2016.

Other ships making their Australian debut during the season include Costa Cruises’ Costa Luminosa, Holland America Line’s Noordam, P&O Cruises’ Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden, Ponant’s Le Soleal, Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess and Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas.

And to celebrate Cruise Week, a few cruise lines are gearing up with some limited time offers. Check them out:

1. Hurtigruten and Discover the World

Hurtigruten and Discover the World are offering 30% off fares. Book ANY 2016 Antarctic, Spitsbergen, Greenland, Iceland, Europe Explorer or Norway Classic Coastal Voyage (departing between November 1 2015 and March 1 2017) during CLIA Cruise Week to receive an exclusive 5% saving off Hurtigruten’s Best Fare of the Day (up to 25% off).

2. Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International is offering two bonus offers – up to US$200 in bonus onboard credit plus 50% reduced deposits – on top of savings of up to 30% per person for sailings that depart from October 1 2015 onwards. Bookings must be made before September 16 2015.

3. Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises is giving a bonus US$100 onboard credit to spend on any 2016 Celebrity sailing around the world and 50% reduced deposits. Plus, this bonus onboard credit offer is combinable with the new Go Big, Go Better, Go Best offer launched earlier this month – including the Go Better in Europe Early Bird offer. Book by September 16 2015.

4. Azamara Club Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises has offered bonus onboard spending money to the tune of US$300 per stateroom plus 50% reduced deposits. The offer is available to Oceanview Staterooms and above on Azamara Quest for voyages departing November 18 2015 onwards, and Azamara Journey on voyages departing May 24 2016 onwards, when booked by September 15 2015.

5. Royal famil

For all Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises bookings made during Cruise Week, agents are automatically in the running to win a seven night cruise on Harmony of the Seas. The cruise for two is in a Balcony Stateroom on a Barcelona roundtrip of their choice, sailing between June and October 2016 and including return economy flights from Australia, with every booking counting as an additional entry.

6. APT

APT is offering a range of exclusive deals for guests who book one of its many river and small ship ocean cruise holidays.

For example couples who book to travel together on any of the eight remaining 2015 departures of APT’s 13-day Best of China luxury land and cruise holiday through a CLIA Member Travel Agent during Cruise Week (7-14 September 2015), will receive one free return flight to China with Singapore Airlines and a saving of $500 per couple.

For full terms and conditions for this offer, please refer to APT’s website aptouring.com.au Offer is subject to availability.

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