Carnival to launch Australian winter cruise season

Carnival Australia’s international cruise season begins in Sydney on Sunday (20 October 2013), with the arrival of Holland America Line’s ms Volendam – one of 20 Carnival ships scheduled to sail in Australian waters between now and the end of April 2014.

Carnival Australia is the biggest cruise operator in the country, accounting for nearly two thirds of the 34 ships set to operate in Australian waters this winter. Six of these ships will be deployed in Australia full-time – PO Cruises’ Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl, Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess and Dawn Princess and Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Spirit.

“The peak summer cruise season is a massive mobile billboard highlighting cruising as a great holiday choice and the standout sector of Australian tourism,” said Carnival Australia’s CEO, Ann Sherry.

“Cruise season represents months of cruising milestones for Carnival Australia with our ships scheduled to make 350 calls at Australian ports. These visits are emblematic of an industry that now generates almost three billion a year in total direct and indirect economic activity.”

Highlights of Carnival Australia’s summer cruise season include the Queen Mary 2′s second circumnavigation of Australia in February-March next year, and visits to Australia by all three Cunard Queens – Mary, Victoria and Elizabeth. PO will make maiden calls to Robe, Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island in South Australia, while Seabourn Sojourn will visit Eden, Burnie, Geelong, Bunbury, Geraldton and Exmouth for the first time.

In total there will be more than 150 round-trip cruises from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle across Carnival Australia’s seven cruise brands.