Carnival Spirit to Australia..

Just posted on Seatrade Insider...the Carnival Spirit is going to be based in Sydney full time starting in October 2012. These cruises are for the local market although it is hoped they will also attract North Americans. Cheers!!

Here is more info.

Carnival Spirit Calls Australia Home From 2012

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Carnival Spirit aerial

Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry announced this morning that Carnival Spirit will be based full time in Australia from October 2012.

In a move that represents the first time Carnival Cruise Lines has ever ventured into Australian waters, the Carnival Spirit is also the first cruise ship to call Sydney home full time that is too tall to sail under the Harbour Bridge.

Carrying 2,667 passengers and approximately 930 crew, Ms Sherry said, “the Carnival Spirit adds another dimension to cruising in Australia.”

Currently scheduled for year round 8 to 12 days cruises to the Pacific Islands and selected 13-day sailing to New Zealand, itineraries will be confirmed midyear.

With the Australian cruise market growing exponentially in recent years, Ms Sherry said that it was a seemingly natural progression for Carnival Cruise Lines to base one of their ships here.

28 cruise ship visits in 28 days are scheduled in February 2011 which further demonstrates the growth of cruising not only in Australia but specifically in Sydney. The one ship market of the past is no longer.

As the youngest ship to be based here, the Carnival Spirit will be ‘Australianised’ subtly with an increased offering of Aussie beers and changes in lingo, entertainment style and kids activities.

Ms Sherry shared with e-Travel Blackboard that whilst 70% of the market segment in the cruise industry may be families, singles and couples are also catered to on board the Carnival Spirit with adult exclusive areas.

“The Carnival Spirit takes ship quality to another level,” Ms Sherry said and further re-iterated her belief that the vessel will secure a strong position in the Australian market.

In another first for an Australian based ship, approximately two-thirds of its cabins offer private balconies and many are adjoining which suits families and larger groups.

Whilst the Overseas Passenger Terminal will need to work better in the capacity that it was built for prior to Carnival Spirit’s launch, Ms Sherry said that she believes Garden Island will also play a part in porting the 88,500 tonne ship.

Primarily targeted to Australian & New Zealand travellers, it is expected that Carnival’s strong brand recognition in the USA will play a part in attracting additional tourism to the country.

Someone else posted a question about this .. and no one had heard.

thanks for the update. One rumor that turns out to be true.

Sounds like a nice idea, but you would think the would have a ship based in Mediterranean on a season schedule or year round unless they are planning that for 2012

The Spirit is leaving SoCal! Do we get another ship when the Spirit leaves? I'm sorry but this news makes me very sad. :(

wow, when i saw this at first - i was... :confused:

looks like it's true...

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2011/01/carnival-cruise-lines-spirit-australia-new-zealand-sydney/138195/1

The world's largest cruise operator says the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit will reposition to Sydney, Australia in October, 2012 and begin offering 8- to 12-night voyages to the Pacific Islands as well as 13-night sailings to New Zealand.

Carnival has not yet announced if another ship will replace the Carnival Spirit on the Mexican and Alaskan itineraries.

looks like the west coast just lost another ship :eek:

It looks like Stu Dunn is going home:D

I DID NOT see this coming. I would have thought Europe would have come before Australia. I am VERY surprised!

Quote:

Carnival has not yet announced if another ship will replace the Carnival Spirit on the Mexican and Alaskan itineraries.

Maybe the Splendor will take over Alaska/Hawaii/Mexican Riviera.

Or maybe California will get another ship when the Breeze debuts???

Maybe the Splendor will take over Alaska/Hawaii/Mexican Riviera.

that's what i'm thinking...

Or maybe California will get another ship when the Breeze debuts???

i doubt it... that is, unless the west coast cruising market improves markedly between now and 2012.

right now i think they're cutting inventory, as per the other competitors, to match demand and increase what are consistently unnaturally low fares.

wouldn't rule out another ship post-breeze, but i sincerely doubt it'd be breeze...

Host Mach, do you think we will get another ship?

DANG IT!:mad:

That is my favorite ship in the whole fleet.

that's what i'm thinking...

 

 

 

i doubt it... that is, unless the west coast cruising market improves markedly between now and 2012.

 

right now i think they're cutting inventory, as per the other competitors, to match demand and increase what are consistently unnaturally low fares.

 

wouldn't rule out another ship post-breeze, but i sincerely doubt it'd be breeze...

I was thinking the first option (Splendor) would be the most likely.

I don't think they will be homeporting the Breeze in CA, maybe an older ship.

You guys can check out the Sydney cruise ship schedule.

The dates the Spirit will be in port are already loaded in.

http://www.sydneyports.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/14594/Passenger_Vessel_Schedule_12_January_2011.pdf

that's what i'm thinking...

 

 

 

i doubt it... that is, unless the west coast cruising market improves markedly between now and 2012.

 

right now i think they're cutting inventory, as per the other competitors, to match demand and increase what are consistently unnaturally low fares.

 

wouldn't rule out another ship post-breeze, but i sincerely doubt it'd be breeze...

If anything it would be the Legend/Miracle(Should they decided to push the Miracle out of NY and give us something else ;)) or maybe just maybe a Conquest ship

I was thinking the first option (Splendor) would be the most likely.

 

I don't think they will be homeporting the Breeze in CA, maybe an older ship.

right, agreed in the immediate interim...

definitely interesting to wonder about what they'd move - given that the cruise market improves markedly...

right, agreed in the immediate interim...

 

definitely interesting to wonder about what they'd move - given that the cruise market improves markedly...

Who knows now what they will do. They REALLY surprised me with this one.

DANG IT!:mad:

 

That is my favorite ship in the whole fleet.

Me too!:(

If anything it would be the Legend/Miracle(Should they decided to push the Miracle out of NY and give us something else ;)) or maybe just maybe a Conquest ship

that type of speculation is what's interesting here as far as a new ship would be concerned...

spirit and fantasy class are the only 2 currently sailing that are built to panamax form factor. so, if bigger, that means a round the horn voyage, until the panama canal expansion is completed by somewhere around 2014.

assuming spirit were to stay in australia, i'd normally say that if they were to place another ship it'd be destiny / triumph or victory. that follows the recent pattern... but would present its own set of variables...

meanwhile, miracle and pride are happy where they are - further distances, so the extra speed works for those deployments... as does heat and covered pools... tampa could have one of the ships built for warmer weather, but the bridge leaves legend as the tallest carnival ship i believe the bridge can accomodate.

a very interesting move by carnival, indeed.

australia... who'd'a thunk it... ;)

that type of speculation is what's interesting here as far as a new ship would be concerned...

 

spirit and fantasy class are the only 2 currently sailing that are built to panamax form factor. so, if bigger, that means a round the horn voyage, until the panama canal expansion is completed by somewhere around 2014.

 

assuming spirit were to stay in australia, i'd normally say that if they were to place another ship it'd be destiny / triumph or victory. that follows the recent pattern... but would present its own set of variables...

 

meanwhile, miracle and pride are happy where they are - further distances, so the extra speed works for those deployments... as does heat and covered pools... tampa could have one of the ships built for warmer weather, but the bridge leaves legend as the tallest carnival ship i believe the bridge can accomodate.

 

a very interesting move by carnival, indeed.

 

australia... who'd'a thunk it... ;)

Forgot that they werent built to go through Panama and the Triumph is moving to Galveston:( and the Destiny has one too many engine problems so that leaves the Victory,.... and of course I forgot about that class too :o

I can't wait to see the repo cruises for this one. I imagine an old style 12 day Vancouver to Hawaii. Then maybe a Pacific islands cruise going by French Polynesia, Fiji and maybe even Cook islands. Heck the New Zealand cruise would be great. We have looked into one of those on Princess.

I admit to being a little surprised by this move. It certainly raises a lot of question on what Carnival might have in store for other markets.

DANG IT!:mad:

 

That is my favorite ship in the whole fleet.

Living on the "Wet Coast" she will be missed:(

 

I admit to being a little surprised by this move. It certainly raises a lot of question on what Carnival might have in store for other markets.

Me too. This opens so many new doors for Carnival.

10/11 day cruises??

14 day cruises??

South America??

Europe (more than when a new ship debuts)????

Panama Canal (more than just when repo a ship)?????

There are many possibilities. I am very curious to which ones will actually come true.

Living on the "Wet Coast" she will be missed:(

Hopefully this will be the last ship Carnival takes from the West Coast.

So it looks like they are abandoning San Diego, just like RCI did.

Then RCI abandonded LA. Hopefully that is not a sign of what to come with Carnival.

I wonder why Host Mach, just today, stated that this will not happen? I guess he's not as informed as we think he is.