P&O Cruises Changes Newcastle Season 

P&O Cruises said today that it had shortened its proposed 2011 Newcastle season, reducing the number of scheduled cruises from six to four.

Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, said the decision had been driven by slower than anticipated sales as well as relatively higher operational costs.

P&O Cruises‟ inaugural season of cruising from Newcastle in September and October this year will continue as planned.

“Newcastle residents are showing a growing interest in cruising from their doorstep, but the commercial reality is that it will take longer than we expected to grow the market to a point where it can sustain multiple turnarounds,” Ms Sherry said.

“There are also higher operational costs in sailing from Newcastle, which we factored into our initial considerations, but have not been offset by passenger demand.

“We have been heartened by the interest in sailing from Newcastle, including from people living outside of the Hunter who make up about one third of the passenger mix, which is great for the region in terms of delivering real economic benefit.

“We know from our many years of operating cruises from Sydney, that the Newcastle region is one of our passenger heartlands and we are keen to keep developing it as one of our homeports.

“Our recent experience shows there is a cruise market in Newcastle but people want to cruise across the entire year rather than be funnelled into a couple of months.”

Ms Sherry said more permanent cruise terminal facilities would assist in building the cruise market for visiting ships that are „in transit‟ as part of a longer voyage as well as „homeporting‟ ships which finish and start voyages from Newcastle.

“At the moment, we need to erect a marquee and associated equipment to provide weather protection for passengers who are embarking or disembarking from a cruise. A more permanent facility will reduce those operational costs and encourage visiting ships,” she said.

Ms Sherry acknowledged Newcastle Ports Corporation, Hunter Tourism as well as travel agents for their support for P&O Cruises‟ first season.

P&O Cruises will operate four cruises from Newcastle in early 2011 – a 10-night South Pacific cruise, a 14-night New Zealand cruise, a four-night short break and a cruise to Sydney, departing in February and March 2011. Pacific Sun will then relocate to Sydney for three cruises to the South Pacific and far north Queensland.

Passengers affected by the changed schedule will be contacted and offered a range of options as appropriate, including free shuttles between Sydney and Newcastle for those who transfer to one of the cruises with the same itinerary but now departing from Sydney.

Media information:
Sandy Olsen Carnival Australia
+61 2 8424 8861