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Tourism businesses and associations must stop working inisolation and begin serious dialogue to drive the industry forward, Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry has said.
She called for all parts of the “supply chain” to work in unison or risk further fragmentation of the industry that will benefit no one – including visitors. Addressing what she described as the wider tourism community, Sherry urged businesses across all sectors to talk to each to improve the customer experience and also to talk to consumers themselves. “We need to get their point of view. What do they want?”, Sherry said.

Perhaps she needs to talk to Oz Cruise Club Members! I am surprised to hear that we are viewed as domestic travellers.

There is too much “disconnect” between parts of the supply chain, she said, leading to fragmentation. Citing the cruise sector, she said cruise lines, hotels, ports and shore excursion operators must have regular discussions to create a seamless experience. Sherry also said cruise passengers departing Sydney for Pacific Island destinations are
viewed as domestic travellers, and are considered less important than international tourists. There is less will to develop and improve port facilities because of this mindset, she said.

She said it was “no accident of timing” that Celebrity, Silversea, Royal Caribbean and Regency were investing in Australia. “All these ships are based in this market because of our growth,”
Source: Steve Jones Travel Today

After much discussion here at Oz Cruise Club about a new cruise terminal it looks like Ann Sherry has won her battle and things are finally moving!

Carnival praises “major step” A committee will be formed to investigate options for a new cruise terminal in Sydney, with Garden Island naval base the likely focus.
The development has been described by Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry as a major step forward.

State planning minister Kristina Keneally confirmed the formation of a committee to advice on the options. “It is fantastic news,” Sherry told Travel Today, describing it as a “strong signal” that steps are finally being taken to address the lack of facilities. “There could be a way of sharing the infrastructure [at Garden Island]so we have capacity on the eastern side of the bridge.”

As an Ann Sherry press release, it is strangely not mentioned on Princess or Australian Travel Industry sites. This Australian scoop originated from a US site - Cruise Industry News. I do not know it the prices are in $US or $AU.

Princess Cruises has announced details of the 2010 summer program for its Australian-based superliners, Sun Princess and Dawn Princess, featuring a new Australian circumnavigation voyage with an international flavour.

The new 28-night ‘Round Australia’ itinerary onboard Dawn Princess will feature visits to Bali in Indonesia as well as visiting the capital cities and coastal highlights of each state.

Passengers can select from two Sydney departures in September 2010 and March 2011 and one Melbourne departure in November 2010, with early booking fares available from $4079* per person twin share.

Princess Cruises will have an even bigger presence in Australasian waters next summer, offering a total of 17 cruises to New Zealand from Sydney and Melbourne onboard Dawn Princess and Sun Princess – a 30 per cent increase on the 2009 season.

Guests can select from a range of 13-night, round-trip New Zealand cruises with departures from Sydney and Melbourne between October 2010 and February 2011. The first scenic voyage on Sun Princess departs Sydney on October 13, 2010 visiting seven New Zealand ports with early booking fares starting from $2199* per person twin share.

Dawn Princess will be based in Melbourne for the 2010 summer offering Victorians the choice of 9 cruises between November 2010 and March 2011, while Sun Princess will be based in Sydney full-time, offering 13 cruises during the same period.

Announcing the new program, Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia which operates Princess Cruises in Australia, said the new offerings were a direct reflection of market demand.

“We had a great response to our circumnavigation itineraries last year, so we wanted to give our guests some added value by incorporating visits to our northern neighbours in Indonesia,” Ms Sherry said.

“We’re also very excited about the continued expansion of capacity on our Trans-Tasman cruises. New Zealand is such a stunning destination, we decided to offer more opportunities for our passengers to see its natural beauty,” she said.

Other highlights of the new 2010 Sun Princess/Dawn Princess program include:

· A new 12-night itinerary to New Caledonia and Northern Vanuatu departing Sydney on October 1, 2010, onboard Sun Princess visiting Mystery Island, Port Vila and Wala in Vanuatu as well as the beautiful islands of New Caledonia. Fares are priced from $2039* per person, twin share.

· Two 13-night cruises to Fiji onboard Dawn Princess departing Sydney on October 1 and October 26, 2010 calling at New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Suva, Denarau, and Dravuni Island are priced from $2199* per person, twin share.

· A 35-night cruise to Tahiti and Hawaii departing Sydney on April 3, 2011, visiting Fiji, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Hawaii, American Samoa, Western Samoa and Tonga, priced from $5339* per person twin share.


The 77,000-tonne premium superliners both feature more than 400 cabins with private balconies and are tailored for the Australian market, with onboard currency in Australian dollars.
Source - Cruise Industry News