Two Carnival cruise ships that are based down under will shift to more domestic cruise offerings rather than international cruises. This will provide cruisers the chance to enjoy and explore more of Australia.
The Carnival has converted 30% of international 2021 itineraries in Australia and New Zealand to domestic itineraries. This will give cruisers the chance to enjoy their backyard including nine of the new itineraries that will now be departing Sydney and Brisbane visiting the Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Island.
Jennifer Vandekreeke, VP and GM Australia, Carnival Cruise Line, said:
“As Australians, we have become increasingly appreciative of our beautiful home and we are looking to explore our backyard more than ever. We are so incredibly lucky to have this beautiful part of the world as our playground and there’s no better way to explore the beauty of Australia than by sea.”
At the moment, there are two Carnival cruise ships based in the region and operated by Carnival Australia including Carnival Splendor and Carnival Spirit. These new domestic offerings will account for a $16.7 million boost for the Queensland economy.
Vandekreeke continuned:
Cruising offers travellers the chance to visit a number of fantastic destinations in one holiday while only unpacking once. You can slide your way to the Great Barrier reef and enjoy a cocktail en-route to Airlie Beach, without any hassles of cooking and cleaning.
This is going to be the way forward with other cruise lines based down under possibly doing something similar. For Carnival Cruise Line in the U.S., we could see shorter itineraries to popular ports in the Bahamas including private islands.
Carnival has suspended operations out of Australia into 2021 with Carnival Splendor sailings cancelled through March 2, 2021, and Carnival Spirit departures cancelled through May 16, 2021.
The Australian government currently has a ban on cruise ships through December 17, 2021. Authorities in the country are in discussions on to lift the ban with new rules or extend it.
