November will see Carnival having two Australia-based ships
IAN STALKER
Carnival Cruise Lines is happy to accommodate Canadians who want to set sail far from home and from ports that people in this country may not view as traditional cruise departure points.
Marilisa De Simone, Carnival’s business development director, Canada told a recent Toronto gathering that Carnival has two ships sailing out of Australia, with the Carnival Splendor now based in Sydney and the Luminosa beginning sailing out of Brisbane in November.
De Simone told agents gathered for the event that they may have clients who are looking for a non-traditional cruise itinerary.
“Why not think Australia?” she suggested.
The Luminosa was originally a Costa Cruise Lines vessel and “still has a Mediterranean flair,” De Simone added.
She said Carnival is popular with vacationing families but clients will find a shipboard adults-only area call Serenity, a retreat she suggested is great for those wanting to read or simply listen to the waves.
“We do cater to everybody,” she continued.
De Simone noted Carnival ships can host on-board destination weddings.
Meanwhile, Carla D’Andrea of VoX International, which represents Tourism Australia in this country, told the same gathering that Canadians will find that Australia’s borders are “completely reopened,” with Australia again welcoming tourists.
D’Andrea conceded Australia’s distance can be a hurdle when it comes to selling the destination, but added those departing from the Eastern or Central provinces can book a stop on the West Coast or travel to Australia with Air New Zealand, stopping in Auckland en route.
Australian selling points include its being seen as safe, its having exotic wildlife, the country offering good food and wine and “aquatics” in a part of the world that includes the Great Barrier Reef.
She said the “vast” country can be explored by different methods, including the cross-country Indian Pacific train, which links Perth and Sydney.
Those involved in Sydney’s tourism trade remained busy during the pandemic, among other tihngs adding more walking trails, D’Andrea reported.
Down the road, Sydney will next year host World Pride, which Goway Travel has packages for, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer competition, will be jointly staged by Australia and New Zealand.
Australia has a new travel agent specialist program, which can be found at aussiespecialist.com.
