23 April 2008

Princess Cruises Celebrates End of Record Cruise Season

Princess Cruises is celebrating the close of its biggest ever summer season of cruising in Australia with its two ships, Sun Princess and Sapphire Princess, carrying 47,000 passengers into and out of Sydney over the past six months.

Sun Princess made her final summer call to Sydney last Friday (April 19), before sailing for Perth where she will be based for the next three months, while Sapphire Princess made her last call for the season on April 14.

Since November 2007, the two ships have made 21 turnaround visits to Sydney, carrying 47,000 passengers Ã¢â¬' a massive 63 per cent increase in passenger numbers over the previous summer cruise season.

Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia which represents Princess Cruises in Australia, said the surge in passengers was due to the Australian deployment of the Sun Princess, which carries 1950 passengers.

Sun Princess replaced the smaller 670-passenger Pacific Princess, which sailed from Sydney over 2006-07 cruise season.

"Sun Princess has been a huge hit Ã¢â¬' Australians love her size and all her features, which are the hallmark of a premium cruise liner,"Ms Sherry said.

"Her superliner status means weÃ¢â¬â¢ve been able to offer more Australians the chance to cruise over summer, which has boosted the economic return for Sydney as well as the many ports around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific which the ship visits."

The first premium superliner to be based full-time in Australia, Sun Princess will return to Sydney in July for her 75-night Grand Pacific world voyage.

Cabins are still available on the 28-night Pacific leg of her Grand Pacific world voyage, with fares starting from $5619 per person twin-share including the flight back to Sydney from San Francisco.

For those wanting to cruise closer to home, fares on Sun PrincessÃ¢â¬â¢ 12-night cruise to Fiji from Sydney departing October 9, 2008, start from $1939 per person.

Sun Princess features 975 cabins Ã¢â¬' including more than 400 with private balconies Ã¢â¬' as well as a grand four-storey atrium with a stained-glass dome and glass elevators, eight restaurants and cafes, seven lounges, four pools and five whirlpool spas.

by: The Mole