Carnival P & O Australia pulling out of Freo.

Looks live Carnival/P&O are using the same tactics RCCL are using in Sydney & NZ. Understandable, as Freo Passenger Terminal has been upgraded since at least the 70's.

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/poor-ports-turn-big-cruisers-off-wa-ng-b88463524z

Yes, funny how it was never a concern when they operated out of the tent at Barangaroo, or the Grain Wharf tent in Brisbane...

All just excuses and lobbying. If they get the business there more than other places, they're not going to turn dollars away!

Yes, funny how it was never a concern when they operated out of the tent at Barangaroo, or the Grain Wharf tent in Brisbane...

 

All just excuses and lobbying. If they get the business there more than other places, they're not going to turn dollars away!

If you follow overseas cruising like I do, you will see that they do the same thing elsewhere, such as Alaska, New Orleans, etc. Then they make a big announcement that they are returning. It must be effective.

I think the terminal at Fremantle , Perth , is one of the best in Australia.

I think the terminal at Fremantle , Perth , is one of the best in Australia.

I think it quite OK from the passengers' point of view. :)

Now is an opportunity for another cruise line, with quality ships, to base a ship in Freemantle, for a few months, and do circle Indian Ocean Cruises, visiting Indian Ocean islands, plus South Africa.

I would love to fly to Perth (with land content) to do such a cruise. Like many Australians on the east coast, I have visited SE Asia, South Pacific islands and NZ a number of times, so I am looking for cruises to new exotic island destinations.

I live in WA and was thrilled when Princess started home porting in Freo in 2008 over the winter, have cruised with them almost every year since. Choice has slowly got less and less, until next year only one round trip cruise. We have had a couple of lumpy nights out of Freo in winter but it soon settles down. The terminal is large and there is plenty of places to sit while waiting for boarding. Unfortunately last year the port authority decided to do away with luggage trolleys which made it hard returning from a 26 night cruise with lots of bags of goodies. World Cruises departing Freo used to get a band, sometimes with a singer, to farewell them, plus people allowed on to the deck outside the terminal to wave, throw streamers. The passengers loved it. If the town of Fremantle and shops is too far from the terminal for transit passengers, then the City of Fremantle needs to put on free shuttle buses. How many ports in the world are need their destinations cities?

I agree about Geraldton, Exmouth and Broome. In 2006 on a sector of Oriana's world cruise the ship tried to call at Exmouth, apparently despite booking an alongside berth 18 months prior to the cruise it was changed a few days prior to the call to tendering, anchor wouldn't hold so we just took off to Singapore. Captain made it known P&O UK wouldn't be calling at Exmouth again. Have a cruise booked for September out of Freo on Princess, but if another line offered choice, as Marion says, cruises to Indian Ocean ports, South Africa and return would be wonderful and I would be working on the time off and money to do such a cruise.

Boo Ho to Carnival and P&O.

While the passenger terminal is dated etc it sure beats Phu My (in Vietnam) which comes to mind, by a million miles and at least it is not a tender port either, even the QM2 can dock there at the terminal.

Public transport right at the doorstep and the historic City of Fremantle as well.

No doubt they will be back soon

I must say I am surprised that they think Freo is no good for their ships, I would think it is more to do with other ports in WA rather than Freo's facilities.

I think the terminal at Fremantle , Perth , is one of the best in Australia.

Yep I don't get the issue.

Perhaps lack of passenger numbers? Perhaps friction between Carnival and Maritime Unions? (This has happened at other Ports around the world.):eek: Perhaps unreasonable Port Charges?

I have embarked/disembarked at and called in at Fremantle a couple of times.

Sure it is a bit of a walk into Fremantle town but nothing wrong with the cruise terminal.

Yep I don't get the issue.

I think it is more to do with the other ports in WA.

I think the real reason is not the port at all. It has to do with our gambling laws that prohibit the ship opening the casino at all while in WA waters. All cruises that are to Busselton, Esperance or up the coast to Exmouth, Broome etc cannot have the casino open, therefore they loose money. Wait and see what happens when (if) the WA government relaxes the gambling laws for cruise ships.

I think it is more to do with the other ports in WA.

................that's why we can't have nice things. ;p Don't know about mini cruises from other Aussie ports - but no gambling from Freo - due to the WA laws. Well, we are different !!!!!!

Did go chasing "short cruises" on line for 2018/19. Listed as "sold out" Yep..............none events happening. Cruise ships will still call in on their way to other places, just not any cruises to "nowhere". Fremantle centre's not too far from the terminal, but it beggars belief that they don't have a cat bus that runs up Peter Hughes Drive. Probably because of the Bond Yards for the cars, and the transporters coming and going to transfer them out. You have to negotiate the horrible bridge or walk down to the train station and cross over the line there. Sad day at Black Rock for us WA'ers :( Still, jumping on the Pacific Eden on Friday 4 days Esperance return - gonna enjoy that :D:D

I think the real reason is not the port at all. It has to do with our gambling laws that prohibit the ship opening the casino at all while in WA waters. All cruises that are to Busselton, Esperance or up the coast to Exmouth, Broome etc cannot have the casino open, therefore they loose money. Wait and see what happens when (if) the WA government relaxes the gambling laws for cruise ships.

Remember this thread last year?

Bpos

Thread Starter

Cool Cruiser

When is the Premiership due to Dock in Fremantle

Posted September 1st, 2016, 10:07 PM

Does anyone know when this ship is due to dock in Fremantle?

The dockers in Fremantle have now been waiting for some years for it to arrive and so have the good folk in Fremantle and myself included.

Any information that someone can provide on a possible arrival timeframe would be appreciated.

It's no wonder the good folk in Fremantle, indeed Western Australia are outraged at the action taken by Carnival (and P&O).

Our dreams are shattered to say the least. There could even be riots and street protests?

Why, it might be years now before we see the Premiership dock in Fremantle due to the actions of a company domicile in the USA and probably not even caring of our needs and desires.

They may change their minds in a few years time, especially if the gambling laws change.

I think the real reason is not the port at all. It has to do with our gambling laws that prohibit the ship opening the casino at all while in WA waters. All cruises that are to Busselton, Esperance or up the coast to Exmouth, Broome etc cannot have the casino open, therefore they loose money. Wait and see what happens when (if) the WA government relaxes the gambling laws for cruise ships.

Wait for the uproar if some smart Australian government decides to tax them on alcohol drunk in Australian waters, like some Mediterranean country did! (Was it Spain?)

Wait for the uproar if some smart Australian government decides to tax them on alcohol drunk in Australian waters, like some Mediterranean country did! (Was it Spain?)

Yes, Spain applies a VAT to drinks on board.

The no gambling law was lifted mid last year

"Cruise ships calling in at Western Australia will be able to open their casinos after the state government lifted restrictions.

The move is designed to protect and grow an industry already pumping $275 million into the State’s economy."

I know they were open on Radiance last November. I think it had something to do with the Packer owned casino that had prevented gambling at sea.

As for not getting the passengers in the West, not correct, we are so starved for cruises here that they book out early.

On my first Australian cruise, from Sydney to Perth, NOTHING opened until after the ship left Perth. It turned me off cruising for thirty years, in addition most passengers got sick cruising the Great Australian Bight.

Fortunately, I had a fabulous holiday in Perth and my return home via the Indian Pacific remains a train travel highlight.

Interesting that cruises from the West book out early. I know my friend had to be wait-listed for a cruise departing in July from Perth.

The no gambling law was lifted mid last year

 

"Cruise ships calling in at Western Australia will be able to open their casinos after the state government lifted restrictions.

The move is designed to protect and grow an industry already pumping $275 million into the State’s economy."

 

I know they were open on Radiance last November.

Yes, our Sun Princess cruise in Mar/Apr had the casino open when in WA waters. Not sure about the actual regulations, but recall that, following the cancellation of our Broome stop, we went faster to Kimberley coast & spent some extra time there. One afternoon there was a sudden announcement that as we were now within the distance limit the casino had to close immediately :)

Wait for the uproar if some smart Australian government decides to tax them on alcohol drunk in Australian waters, like some Mediterranean country did! (Was it Spain?)

Hehe. I can imagine the complaints from cruiselines now.

Yet not a word about their own ever increasing drink prices, and limited range.

. I think it had something to do with the Packer owned casino that had prevented gambling at sea.

 

Yes the distance out to sea rules changed recently but utterly nothing to do with Packer. It's only a recent aquisition in the Packer stable. The casino itself was built in 85 and the laws relating to casinos on ships not being able to operate until a certain amount of km offshore existed long before that because I was cruising then and the casino area would have a rope barrier and signage explaining the law.

But I concur with others that Carnival are just game playing. They will reappear with a big new announcement and a renamed ship soon enough.

I don't know why they don't have more cruises based in Perth, I'd fly from over east if they had good ports.

You could have Perth cruises going to Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Indonesian islands etc.

Then you could have even longer cruises that could maybe visit South Africa, Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, Maldives, India or Sri Lanka. Plenty of options and I think people would fly to Perth for it.

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