Cruise benefits weigh anchor
Pacific Eden sails away as ship owner insists commitment to Cairns is here to stay
DESPITE ditching Cains as a homeport for the Pacific Eden, Carnival Australia says there is “no way (the move) diminishes our commitment to Cairns”.
Sailing with the 219m-long Pacific Eden, when it slipped lines at the cruise terminal yesterday, is maintenance contracts and tourism spending worth millions of dollars.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Pip Close said since 2016 Cairns had proven its worth as a home port for the ship and the organisation was considering other vessels to be based at the port.
“Cairns is an ideal link between east coast Australian cruising and the exotic ports of Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea,” she said.
Rae Patterson and Melinda Taig from Melbourne spent yesterday shopping in Cairns after taking in a trip to New Guinea on the Pacific Eden.
After staying at Port Douglas before boarding and staying Wednesday night at the Shangri-La, the pair went on a $1000 shopping spree before getting back on the ship.
“We went to Cairns Central and Grafton St to buy linen,” Ms Patterson said.
“And we just had the best lunch ever at Dundee’s and we had dinner with friends from Cairns as well.
“The town is clean, wellkept and quiet for us.”
Carnival Australia told the Cairns Post that in 2019 the company will give 11,000 passengers “opportunities over two days” to take in all the Cairns region has to offer.
“We understand there is some disappointment that … proposed 2019 home porting is not proceeding,” a spokesman said. “However, this change in no way diminishes our commitment to Cairns or the city’s identifiable role as a key cruise hub for ships based in Australia year round or seasonally and international ships visiting on world voyages
Ports North chairman Russell Beer affirmed the commitment of the P&O line to the Cairns region.
“P&O has been a strong supporter of the Cairns destination and we will continue working with them to grow cruise shipping in the region,” he said.
WE JUST HAD THE BEST LUNCH EVER AT DUNDEE’S AND WE HAD DINNER WITH FRIENDS FROM CAIRNS AS WELL RAE PATTERSON