| Cunard not sailing away from Australia

AUSTRALIA remains an important source market for Cunard Line, despite the brand leaving local shores earlier this year (CW 06 Nov 2023), Senior Vice President Commercial Liz Fettes told Cruise Weekly.

The Cunard leader, in Australia for last week’s Cruise360 conference (CW 29 Aug), said keeping locals’ appetite high for “the fine line” as a fly-cruise option will remain a key focus.

“Australia is such a top market for us, and it’s a long-term market,” said Fettes, pictured right with Sales & Marketing Director Amy Williams.

“Having the dedicated sales team, having the dedicated marketing team, also having a dedicated call centre, none of that’s going away.”

Fettes said Cunard is confident the line’s brand affinity, built in the country over years of local operations, will see Australians enthusiastic to follow its ‘Queens’ around the world.

“We want to keep people within Cunard’s ecosphere,” she said.

“There’s been such an affinity and such a loyalty to the brand here, I think the retention and that repeat side, it’s really ‘where else can we deliver this experience to you’.”

Cunard’s new ship Queen Anne, as well as cold weather destinations such as Alaska, are proving popular with Australians, Fettes said. MS