Cunard doubles Aussie commitment
LUXURY cruise line Cunard says it has high hopes for further growth in the Australian market which has emerged as its third largest globally for passengers.
Melbourne is also becoming an increasingly important destination for the 179-year cruise line which began using the city as a departure hub for round trips for the first time this year.
“We have people from 70plus nations on our ships and Australia is now our No.3 market so it’s a country that is very much of interest to us and we have high hopes that it will continue to grow quickly,” UK Cunard President Simon Palethorpe said.
“We are a quintessentially British brand and we try to provide a bit of a sense of occasion. We are an old brand that is well trusted and that resonates with a particular audience in Australia.”
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth wrapped up its longest ever Australian sailing season – 54 days – late last month.
The 90,900-tonne Queen Elizabeth is Cunard’s second biggest ship and carries 2081 quests and 1005 crew.
It will return for a 101-day season operating out of Sydney and Melbourne in the summer running from November 2019 to February 2020 and an extended 118 days in the 2020-21 summer period.
Cruise ship operators are increasingly looking to use Melbourne as a departure and return point as they struggle to gain dock access in Sydney.
Mr Palethorpe said while getting dock access could be a challenge in the nation’s most populous city, Melbourne was growing in stature as a destination for Cunard’s clientele.