P&O Cruises to base a new ship in Adelaide for part of 2016 cruise season

SOUTH Australia will reap an estimated $5 million tourism dividend from P&O Cruises’ decision to base one of its two new ships in Adelaide for part of the 2016 cruise season.

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Pearl ship will dock at Mornington in March 2015 as part of a new cruise route. Picture: P&O Cruises.

SOUTH Australia will reap an estimated $5 million tourism dividend from P&O Cruises’ decision to base one of its two new ships in Adelaide for part of the 2016 cruise season.

It follows plans for two Adelaide round trip cruises by P&O in 2015, allowing South Australians to take a cruise in local waters without travelling to Sydney or Melbourne to board.

P&O today announced it would operate its longest South Australian cruise season yet as a result of its fleet expansion with one of its latest ships — Pacific Eden — sailing on six cruises from Adelaide in March and April 2016.

The new program will give South Australia a bigger stake in Australia’s booming cruise industry and deliver benefits to regional areas such as Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island where the cruises will call.

In total, Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island are scheduled to receive 10 calls from Pacific Eden and other ships in the P&O Cruises’ fleet during 2015-16.

P&O Cruises chief executive Ann Sherry said the addition of the 1500-passenger Pacific Eden and Pacific Aria to the cruise line’s existing three-ship fleet meant it could offer a great range of itineraries from eight homeports around Australia.

“We’re thrilled that Adelaide is set to benefit from this growth and look forward to building South Australia’s cruise industry further,” Ms Sherry said.

Forming part of P&O Cruises’ new 2015-16 program which offers 250 cruises, the South

Australian season includes:

THREE four-night cruises including two visiting Port Lincoln and Melbourne;

TWO three-night themed cruises offering an ideal opportunity for first time

cruisers to experience a cruise holiday; and

A SIX-NIGHT Adelaide to Fremantle cruise visiting Kangaroo Island and Esperance.

Fares start from $649 per person quad share for a four-night cruise.

P&O estimates Pacific Eden’s turnaround calls to Adelaide will inject up to $1 million each into the local economy in passenger and crew spending and port charges, while day visits to other South Australian ports could generate up to $500,000 each.

Ms Sherry said the cruise line was pleased Adelaide would increasingly benefit from the value chain of cruising as a result of P&O Cruises’ expansion.

“P&O Cruises’ expansion to become a five-ship fleet with the largest number of cruise ships

homeported year round in Australia will help the industry achieve its goal of a million passengers a year in 2015, five years earlier than forecast,” Ms Sherry said.