CELEBRITY Cruises is expecting that the
Down Under deployment of its huge Celebrity
Equinox in 2012 will bring significant numbers
of international tourists to Australia.
The cruise line’s ceo, Dan Hanrahan, was in
Australia last week to showcase the brand’s
version of “modern luxury” which he said
differentiated Celebrity from some of its more
traditional rivals.
He cited unique features of the upmarket
ships including the funky iLounge Apple gadget
shops and internet cafes, the innovative Lawn
Club Grill and the spectacular “Wine Tower” in
the main dining room.
“Our aim is to provide a holiday where we
know everyone will be happy,” he said, with
Celebrity offering a truly different experience.
As a truly international brand, Celebrity
attracts cruisers from across the globe and
Hanrahan said he thinks Australasia will be a
key drawcard.
“You mightn’t think that Sydney is exotic, but
people from the US, UK and Europe certainly
do,” he said – and that’s also likely to lead to a
significant tourism spin-off for Australia
because “nobody flies this far to just get on
and off a ship”.
Hanrahan also urged port authorities in
Australia to plan for more visits by big ships.
“Large ship cruising is the way the industry is
headed,” he said – and with every Celebrity
ship being too big to fit under the Sydney
Harbour Bridge, tourism authorities need to
offer more facilities if future big ship visits are
to be adequately facilitated.
“We don’t need a Taj Mahal,” he said, citing
the cruise terminal in Hamburg which had
been constructed out of containers.
“A few plants, chairs and some nice paint and
it’s a great facility for our passengers,” he
added – but also stressed the importance of
any terminals being undercover and having
transport infrastructure to easily facilitate the
movement of more than 3000 passengers.
Local head of Celebrity’s parent company,
Royal Caribbean, Gavin Smith, said there was
“no greater substantiation of interest in the
Australian cruise market” than next year’s local
deployment of Celebrity Equinox.
