“Wave season” hits our shores
next month, bringing a record
number of ships and port visits.
According to the national cruise body,
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
Australasia, its member cruise lines will have
34 ships – one more than last year – sailing
down under from October 2013 to April 2014.
Of these, 15 vessels will operate an
unprecedented 202 roundtrip cruises from
Australia, while 19 others would make short
visits during the summer.
Around 600 calls are expected to be made to
Australian cities as well as regional ports such
as Eden, Robe, Exmouth and Norfolk Island,
with many visiting for the first time.
One vessel is also on its way for its inaugural
season based in WA: Cruise & Maritime
Voyages’ Astor, which is scheduled to arrive
in Fremantle on 11 December for a series of
voyages along the west coast, to Asia and a
circumnavigation of Australia.
CLIA Australasia General Manager Brett
Jardine said the busy six-month season was
worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the
Australian economy.
“As cruising grows in popularity we’re
seeing new opportunities open up for smaller
ports along our coast to share in that growth
and build their local tourism, which is very
exciting,” Jardine said.
“Each ship visit can inject up to $500,000
into a port, so they make an important
contribution.”
