Cairns cruise boom secures Pacific Eden

The cruise industry in Cairns has hit a record high, with the inaugural season expected to deliver more than $6 million to the State’s economy in passenger and crew spending and associated port charges.

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Eden will add to this, as the 1500-guest ship sets sail on her first roundtrip cruise from the city on Saturday (Sept 10), and will call Cairns home until 11 November.

Carrying an estimated 13,000 holidaymakers, Pacific Eden will embark on nine cruises from the city, including cruises to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

An estimated 40 percent of guests will be travelling from interstate to join the Cairns’ cruises, for the two-month cruise season, which will provide a boost to local accommodation and travel operators, restaurants and cafes.

According to industry figures, domestic cruisers spend an average $483 a day on accommodation, shopping, dining and transport before boarding a ship in an Australian port.

P&O Cruises Vice President Sales and Marketing Simon Cheng said Pacific Eden’s deployment also supported Queensland suppliers who contribute large quantities of produce to the cruise line.

Since launching in 1932, P&O, Australia’s only homegrown cruise line, has expanded to now offer five ships cruising year-round from eight homeports. In a move which is testament to the growing popularity of cruising in Queensland, it is the only State with two cruise homeports.

“We’ve had our eye on Cairns for many years and are thrilled to have the capacity to be able to base one of our latest ships in the city for the next two months. We have always seen Cairns as a cruising hot spot with great potential and Pacific Eden’s mid-range size means she can berth at the cruise terminal right in the heart of the city providing a fantastic cruise experience for our guests,” Cheng said.

According to industry figures, Queensland is the second biggest source market for Australian cruisers with more than 280,000 Queenslanders cruising in 2015. Queensland is also home to more cruise destinations than any other state in Australia, with P&O ships now sailing to 11 destinations along its coast. In addition to launching Cairns as a new homeport, the cruise line has opened up a range of new Queensland ports in recent years including Gladstone and Fraser Island earlier this year.

Pacific Eden’s 2016 Cairns season will feature eight roundtrip cruises and one repositional cruise. The ship will become a familiar sight in the far north with an even bigger encore season in 2017, featuring 10 cruises from Cairns from August to November. Fares for next year’s Cairns season start from $1099* per person quad share for a nine-night Papua New Guinea cruise departing Cairns on August 24, 2017, including up to $350 onboard credit for Queensland residents.

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