New program to help cruisers discover the real Australia

New program to help cruisers discover the real Australia

Enhancing the cruise experience in Australia is on the agenda for the Australian Cruise Association as it unveiled a new partnership with Princess Cruises.

The new program was developed by Bruce Krumrine, vice president shore excursions of Holland America Group which includes Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, P&O Australia and Seabourn.

It comprises ten touchpoints, beginning with a series of welcome videos which feature the local ports and tour operators which will be shown on the cruise lines’ website and also onboard.

These will be followed by more immersive videos delivered by local experts, an onboard speaker series and exclusive in-port experiences including special interest tours led by local experts.

“With the rapid growth of cruising in Australia, we believe this initiative is coming at an important time for the region,” Krumrine said.

“It meets the desire from cruise passengers to learn more about, and engage more deeply with, the destinations they visit.”

The program will begin to roll out in mid 2016 with pilot ports in each region.  In Australia these will include Sydney; Airlie Beach, Cairns and Port Douglas in Queensland; Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Darwin and in WA – Perth, Broome, Geraldton and Albany.

The offering will add a new dimension to a visit to Australia for many cruisers, according to Australian Cruise Association chief executive Jill Abel.

“We are excited to work with Princess Cruises on this important opportunity to provide visitors to Australia with in-depth information and truly authentic experiences to make their visits memorable,” she said.

In addition to providing in-depth destination information to guests, the program is expected to increase the demand for cruising in Australia.

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