A Legend Comes to Australia Posted on Sunday, May 26, 2013 | 0 comments

The Carnival Spirit has been a hit in the South Pacific, running itineraries to the beautiful tropical islands out of Sydney. As demand for cruises grows in Australia it is fast becoming a major market for cruise lines, and the Carnival Spirit is becoming lonely and overworked! Carnival is sending its sister ship, the Carnival Legend, to help out the Spirit and make the most of the growing number of cruise lovers in Australia and New Zealand.

Debuting in Australia on the 24th of September next year, the Legend will remain for the season and Carnival have planned for it to return in subsequent seasons, with a view to being homeported in Queensland. Jennifer Vandekreeke, Carnival Director for Australia and New Zealand, compared Queensland with Florida when speaking to the Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday- Florida being the home of cruising in North America. She and other cruise lines would also like to see a cruise terminal being built on the Gold Coast.

The Carnival Legend is a Spirit-Class ship, a Class which introduced some great innovations for Carnival including wedding chapels, museum-quality artwork and an impressive 80% of total onboard cabins having windows, balconies or portholes letting in natural light. The ship has 3 restaurants of which one is a specialty steakhouse, and plenty of things to keep passengers busy during the day and in the evenings. There are four swimming pools, a jogging track, a mini golf course, sports and activites, shopping and a number of bars and lounges for nighttime entertainment, as well as a casino, comedy club and theatre.

Carnival Legend

by Daniel Foster Flickr Creative Commons

Quantum of the Seas Revealed Posted on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 | 0 comments

Royal Caribbean is rolling out its latest ship next year, with an aim to wow the cruise market and keep up the line's trend of innovation at sea. Currently in possession of the biggest cruise ships afloat, Royal Caribbean has chosen to downsize for their next wave of ships, and the Quantum of the Seas and its sister ship the Anthem of the Seas (coming in 2015) will be around 75% of the size of the monstrous Allure and Oasis of the Seas.

The Royal Caribbean fleet will be growing!

by Woody Hibbard Flickr Creative Commons

Although smaller than their fleetmates, these two ships will be exciting additions to the cruise market. They feature very ambitious entertainment features, starting with a host of "firsts." The Quantum of the Seas will have the first bumper cars at sea, the first skydiving simulator (a wind tunnel), and the largest indoor sports and entertainment venue at sea. It also has a ride which is definitely a first for the cruise ship industry- it looks like nothing I've ever seen before! A mix between a cherrypicker and the London Eye, the North Star whisks 14 passengers at a time on a mechanical arm out 300 feet above the ocean for spectacular views.

One new feature which looks set to be a hit is the Two70° venue, which will have full-length windows offering 270-degree views. During the day this will be a lounge with casual dining and home to many scheduled activities. For the nighttime, the space transitions to become a place for amazing aerial displays and other performances.

Other innovations concern staterooms. On average the rooms are 9% larger than the recent Royal Caribbean ships, and there will be a larger variety of categories including better options for single travellers and interconnecting cabins for families. Inside cabin categories will be fitted with screens which simulate a window, hooked up to real-time feeds of the ocean or port views.

More details such as dining options  are yet to be revealed, but the ship will contain some tried-and true favourite entertainment features from the cruise line. These include the FlowRider surf simulator, DreamWorks Experience, Solarium, spa and children's play area. Missing will be the ice-skating rink and the traditional Royal Promenade, making way for the new and different components.
 



Author: Ryan Posa+

Precious Addition to the MSC Fleet Posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 | 0 comments

The MSC Preziosa entered service on the 24th of March 2013, an identical sister ship to the MSC Divina. In true lavish MSC style, the ship was christened with a luxurious ceremony in Genoa. Doing the honours was the godmother of the entire MSC fleet, actress Sophia Loren.

The ceremony included a flash mob of crew and passengers from fleetmates MSC Splendida and MSC Opera which featured sound and lighting effects. There were also fireworks and an acrobatics display to properly welcome the new ship into the fold!

Onboard the ship, cruisers will find some wonderful features including the infinity pool, bowling alley, sports courts, 21 bars, Solarium and Aqua Park for the kids. She will sail the Western Mediterranean with itineraries ranging from 1 night to a week.



Author: Ryan Posa+

See MSC cruises here! 

P&O's Latest Domestic Paradise Posted on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 | 0 comments

P&O has a new destination, and it's only 35 kilometres from Brisbane! Now incorporated in a number of short break cruises on the Pacific Jewel from Sydney will be Moreton Island off the Queensland coast, providing a bit of onshore fun in what are otherwise sea-only excursions.

Moreton is the world's thrid largest sand island, and 95% of it is a National Park. Although there are a small number of residents, most who land on the island are day trippers who come to enjoy the park and take part in the recreational activities offered on the island. These include hiking, 4 wheel driving, snorkelling, diving, whale watching and attending the feeding program for wild dolphins at the resort of Tangalooma.

Honeymoon Bay

by brewbooks Flickr Creative Commons

Cruise passengers will have access to these activities and more, and will have the opportunity to hand feed wild bottlenose dolphins! The champagne pools near Honeymoon Bay are predicted to be popular amongst cruisers- natural pools formed amongst the rocks at the northeastern tip of the island. The ship will moor in the morning and depart after the evening dolphin feeding, allowing a full day of fun in the sun.

Dolphin Feeding at Tangalooma

by brewbooks Flickr Creative Commons

Cruises going to Moreton Island in 2103 include the Moreton Island Cruise in May, September and December, Lifestyle Cruise in June and the Food and Wine Cruise in August.



Author: Ryan Posa+

How do Aussies stack up? Posted on Sunday, February 17, 2013 | 0 comments

Americans have for a long time held the top spot in the cruising market, but there is a newcomer snapping at their heels. Australians are taking to cruising big time, and already the big cruise lines are sending ships to be based down under. Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody, Radiance and Voyager of the seas are common sights in Sydney and surrounds, and both the Sun Princess and Dawn Princess are now true-blue, with Australian Dollars being used as the onboard currency. The Carnival Spirit is another ship which has made the move and now exclusively serves the Australasian market.

by Jimmy Harris Flickr Creative Commons

As well as changing currency and power points, the Carnival Spirit was renovated in an effort to better match the Australian lifestyle, adding a BBQ, thrillseeking waterslide and a few other features in a 7 million dollar "Aussiefication." However, Carnival has had a bit of a learning curve as it discovers more ways in which Australian (and Kiwi) cruisers differ from their American counterparts.

This article on News.com.au outlines a few of the differences between the two markets which came as a surprise to Carnival. Aussies and kiwis are much more aware of the sun and the damage it can cause, so a stock-up of hats, sunscreen and covered sun loungers was required. Drinking habits also differ, not so much in the quantities but in the types of drinks ordered- gin and tonic is a favourite down under, whilst American cruisers love rum-based cocktails. Salmon is an Australian favourite, so more has to be brought onboard for Spirit cruises, as well as a lot more coffee to fuel the active Aussies!

by Penny Higgins Flickr Creative Commons

A heartwarming difference is the addition of more family-focused activities, as Australian families like to spend time together on their cruise rather than take full advantage of the Kids Clubs. The Spirit has changed dining times to better enable families to eat together, and added things such as family movie times.

Other small changes have been made not just on the Spirit but on the Australia-based Princess ships- vegemite often replaces peanut butter, fitness classes have been increased to keep up with demand, and tips made optional.

The Australian cruise market is on the up, and it is good to see the big cruise lines responding and adapting to make the experience great for Aussies and Kiwis!

Author: Ryan Posa+

ICCA Awards 2013- Congratulations Sarah! Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 | 0 comments

The International Cruise Council Australasia hosted their annual awards night in Sydney last weekend, honoring the best agents and agencies in the Australasian cruise industry. Hosted by Deborah Hutton, the event was attended by many people from both cruise lines and agencies. They dressed to the nines for a great night out which included a presentation by Christine Duffy, president of the Cruise Lines International Association.

We at Cruise Republic were very happy to receive Silver in the NZ Agency of the Year category, and extremely proud of our Team Leader Sarah Goldfinch, who was named the NZ Consultant of the Year.

Cruise Republic New Zealand's trophy case is getting quite full now, with three silvers and one bronze award in the Agency of the Year category over the past 4 years!

Sarah with Anne Sherry, CEO of Carnival Cruises

Ryan with John Molinaro from Uniworld and Deborah Hutton

Photos from Travel Today NZ

Author: Ryan Posa+

School's Out! Posted on Monday, December 3, 2012 | 0 comments

School holidays are peak times for cruising, with cruise-loving families taking the opportunity to get out on the water. Kids can have fun in  he Kids Club programmes whilst adults relax, and there is plenty of time to spend as a family too. Ships fill up quickly for this period,. and the fact that many cruise lines set a limit for the number of children that are allowed onboard only adds to this. P&O restricts the number of young ones so that all are guaranteed a place in the kid's programme, and no amount of promising that your kids don't want to be in it will get in if the child allocation is full.

if you don't have kids, and don't mind there being a few on your cruise, school holidays are a good time to book too- while the spots for children are in hot demand, once they are filled the cruise line may have trouble filling the rest of the ship so deals are often available.

Have a look at term dates for Australia and New Zealand, and use Cruise Sale Finder's advanced search to find the right cruise!

What does this mean for you? The consultants at Cruise Republic recommend that you book 8-12 months in advance to get on a school holiday cruise with your family, so if you are considering it, get in touch now!

 by Jacrews7 Flickr Creative Commons

Author: Ryan Posa+