Boom time for Australian cruising, says CLIA
Australia is set for another record breaking cruise season according to the Australasian arm of Cruise Lines International Association.
CLIA says its member cruise lines will have 36 ships sailing Australian waters from October-April 2015, making 642 Australian port calls.
Roundtrip cruises will increase to 253 this season compared to 202 last year on 18 ships with several new vessels on maiden voyages in the region.
Carnival Legend, Compagnie du Ponant’s L’Austral and the MSC Orchestra will all visit Australia for the first time.
"Not only have the number of member line ships cruising our waters risen from 34 to 36, the total number of Australian calls by those ships has risen from 588 last year to 642 this year," said CLIA Australasia general manager Brett Jardine.
There will be 38 maiden port calls this year, including Busselton, Eden, Esperance, Albany, Port Hedland and Geelong.
The latest numbers cement Australia as the fastest growing major cruise market with a 20% rise in passenger numbers in 2013 to more than 800,000.
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