Haimark is planning a “more
affordable” luxury ship in the
Peruvian Amazon – and five
more ships for Asian rivers.
US-based Haimark Travel has signed a
contract to build a 40-passenger vessel for
six-night roundtrip sailings from Iquitos, Peru,
promising a competitive price compared to
other “extremely expensive” ships on the river.
According to the company’s Australian
representative Damien van Eyk, the region is
undergoing a resurgence of interest among
Australian travellers who are seeking better
value.
“I think the growth in travel to South America
from Australia is driven by a couple of factors,
such as the strength of the Australian dollar,
improved air access with Qantas launching
flights to Santiago and an increased appetite
by Australians for travel to more exotic
locations,” Van Eyk told Cruise Weekly.
“We see this trend continuing and our ability
to offer a river cruise on one of the most iconic
rivers in the world, the Amazon, will be a
cornerstone of any trip to the region.”
Haimark, which was formed last year by
three former Pandaw River Expeditions
executives, is rapidly raising the bar for luxury
river cruising outside of Europe.
The unnamed Amazon ship is the latest
of six boutique-style river vessels currently
under construction that Haimark co-owns or
operates.
In September 2014, the company launches
its first two ships: the 56-passenger Irrawaddy
Explorer in Myanmar and the 68-passenger
Mekong Navigator in Vietnam and Cambodia.
In January 2015, it plans to debut the
smaller 24-passenger Mekong Princess and
the 56-passenger Ganges Voyager in India’s
West Bengal region, followed by the Ganges
Voyager II in September 2015.
Haimark sells space on its six vessels on a
charter-only basis to cruise operators such as
Scenic Tours and Travel Indochina, who then
sell the cruises to Australian travellers.
