2000+ guests take in the sights of Cairns as Resilient Lady docks in the tropics
An award-winning cruise line has docked its magnificent nautical offering in Cairns, as it gears up for its first season Down Under.
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More than 2000 people on Richard Branson’s award-winning cruise line anchored in Cairns as part of a 44-day repositioning voyage, ahead of a much anticipated inaugural sailing season in Australia and New Zealand.
Resilient Lady, the third ship in the epic Virgin Voyages line, departed from Athens on October 22, making bucket-list stops via Dubai, Mumbai, Phuket, Singapore and Bali along the way.
For American couple Jill and Cody Pavlak, who booked their ticket last June, the most memorable stopover was in Egypt where they got to see the pyramids.
“This is our 26th cruise and Australia marks the sixth of seven continents we have visited,” Ms Pavlak said.
An online fitness coach, she was getting in her workout at the state-of-the-art gym on board and still eating healthy, leaving the calorie splurge for stopovers.
“Our plan is to Uber to the Crystal Cascades and then head to Trinity Beach for a late lunch,” Mr Pavlak said.
It will have been two months when they finally make it home to Arizona, he said, hoping their dog still remembered them.
Kiwi couple Amanda and Craig Watson said the “50-odd days” at sea had been an enjoyable break from their idyllic life by the beach in Collingwood, South Island but Ms Watson was beginning to miss fresh veggies and indulging in hobbies.
“Some of the people here have been on 60 cruises, this is just our second,” she said.
Awesome staff, great food, plenty of entertainment with free gym classes had made it a memorable trip for them with Ms Watson getting a robot tattoo at the parlour on board.
Looking back at stopovers, Mr Watson said a couple of places put on music and drums.
“One place woke us up really early but Sydney I think might do a bit more.”
Resilient Lady entered Australian waters earlier this week in Darwin and is in the final days of her repositioning voyage before settling into Australia for a much-anticipated inaugural season.
Next up is a stopover in Airlie Beach followed by its final destination in Sydney, to mark the end of a historic journey and beginning of her first season in Australia and New Zealand.
In ‘24/’25 summer sailings, Resilient Lady will be adding itineraries with stops in Port Douglas, Willis Island, Mooloolaba and Brisbane.
Virgin Voyages’ chief executive officer Nirmal Saverimuttu vouched for Far North Queensland’s beauty, saying the picturesque offerings were on many bucket lists.
“We look forward to spending more time in the Sunshine State next summer,” he said.
“Sailors aboard have the option of booking “Shore Things” - Virgin Voyages’ term for shore excursions - with the chance to immerse themselves in the region’s breathtaking landscapes, local cuisine and Aussie culture.”
Virgin Voyages will donate all proceeds from its launch events in Sydney and Melbourne to local non-profit Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef.
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