CRUISE NEWS
STONE AT SEA
As Melbourne-raised chef Curtis Stone gears up to open his second fine-diner in LA, Australian travellers have the chance to enjoy his food closer to home. Stone’s first restaurant at sea, Share, recently opened on Princess
Cruises’ Australian-based Sun Princess as part of upgrades that include new cafés, bars and customised beds. A communal table and homely curios belonging to Stone feature in Share, opening on three Princess ships by the end of the year. Expect the likes of beef-cheek pie with porcini, truffle potato gratin and roasted king crab leg with chicharrón powder. princess.com/curtisstone
FIRE & WATER
Missed out on Hobart’s Dark Mofo festival this year? P&O Cruises has announced a special six-night cruise to next year’s midwinter festival on the Pacific Jewel. The itinerary will include three days in Hobart where guests can take in the festival’s art, music, lights and fireside feasting. Included in the cruise ticket will be entry to MONA, which hosts the festival. pocruises.com.au
HIGH DEFINITION
The first IMAX theatre at sea has opened on
Carnival Cruise Line’s
3,954-passenger ship Carnival Vista. The 187-seat theatre with three-deck-high screen is part of the ship’s Carnival Multiplex, which also includes the Thrill Theatre, where the seats move and viewers are sprayed with water and bubbles. carnival.com.au
GO FIGURE
In the latest figures from the Cruise Lines International Association, 1,058,781 Australians took a cruise in 2015 – up almost 15 per cent on the previous year. Asian itineraries surged in popularity from 55,000 in 2014 to 95,000 in 2015, an increase of 71.5 per cent.