SUN PRINCESS LAUNCHES NEWCASTLE’S CRUISE SEASON WITH MAIDEN VISIT
Princess Cruises’ Australian-based superliner, Sun Princess, will make her maiden visit to Newcastle tomorrow, marking the official start of Newcastle’s summer cruise season.
Carrying 1950 passengers, Sun Princess will arrive in Newcastle Harbour and berth at Dyke Point around 7.30am as part of her 28-night Australian circumnavigation voyage which departed Sydney yesterday. She will sail for Brisbane at 6pm.
Sun Princess’ visit marks the first of three calls to Newcastle by Princess Cruises’ ships this season, with her sister ship, Dawn Princess, due to visit on December 10, 2009 and again on March 7, 2010.
Between them, the visits are expected to inject more than $1.5 million into the Hunter economy via passenger and crew spending, port fees and ship stores.
Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, which operates Princess Cruises in Australia, said the visits demonstrated that Newcastle was becoming an increasingly popular destination on the national cruising map.
We’re always searching for new and interesting ports for our Australian itineraries and Newcastle has so much to offer our passengers, from Hunter Valley wineries and cheese factories to sparkling beaches and great restaurants,” Ms Sherry said.
We’ve already brought the Hunter Valley to our P&O Cruises’ taster cruises which offer some great food and wine experiences onboard, so it’s great our Princess passengers also have the chance to taste the region’s produce first-hand.”
Ms Sherry said Newcastle’s economy would also benefit from the decision by Princess Cruises’ sister cruise line, P&O Cruises Australia, to base one of its ships, Pacific Sun, in Newcastle for the first time in 2010.
Cruising is booming around Australia and we’re excited to provide the opportunity for Novocastrians to cruise from their own doorstep,” Ms Sherry said.
As Sun Princess departs Newcastle tomorrow evening, guns will fire from Fort Scratchley to farewell the superliner as she makes her way north to Queensland.
At 70,000 tonnes, Sun Princess features 975 cabins – including more than 400 with private balconies – as well as a grand four-storey atrium with a stained-glass dome and glass elevators, eight restaurants and cafes, seven lounges, four pools and five whirlpool spas.
