CARNIVAL Corporation kicked off its 2024-25 Australian cruise season on Fri, with the company’s local head Peter Little reaffirming its commitment to the country.
The season will see 17 Carnival Corp ships from its nine brands call in Australia, with the company celebrating in Sydney aboard the newly arrived Queen Elizabeth, sailing her final Down Under season for Cunard Line (CW 06 Nov 2023).
The impending exit of both Queen Elizabeth and P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer from Australia (CW 04 Jun) will not deter Carnival however, with Little telling Cruise Weekly the company will maintain its year-long presence in the country.
“Carnival remains committed to sailing in Australia year-round, and we are the only large-ship cruise operator with ships based in Australia 365 days a year.
Many of Carnival’s key executives, as well as other cruise luminaries, boarded Queen Elizabeth for the season launch, with the ship one of five to home port from Sydney for the season.
She will be joined by Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess and Royal Princess; Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor; and P&O’s Pacific Adventure, sailing her last season for the retiring brand.
The day was also backdropped by the release of the Economic Impact Assessment (CW 18 Oct), jointly commissioned by Cruise Lines International Association and the Australian Cruise Association, with Little saying Carnival contributes around $5 billion to Australia’s total $8.43 billion annual cruise taking.
He said he “couldn’t be prouder” to be a part of the world’s biggest cruise company.
“Carnival Corp is proud to be Australia’s most popular cruise operator,” he said.
“Australians love cruising because it offers great value for money and we are seeing a surge in popularity for our getaway short cruises, offering people who’ve never cruised before a taste of what an affordable fun holiday can be.”
Little also spoke on the mooted third Sydney cruise terminal, reported by this masthead earlier this month (CW 14 Oct), as well as the White Bay shore power project (CW 30 Sep).
“The future of cruising in Sydney is a long-term issue and we are committed to working with the government to build for the future,” he said.
“Carnival pioneered shore power in the cruise industry and we look forward to affordable shore power being switched on at White Bay.” MS