Worldwide Cruising News 10 | Page 3

20TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION ESTABLISHED 1998 ISSUE 27 PRICE $9.35 (INCL GST) SPECIAL EDITION FOR From the General Manager October is the one month in each year that the cruise industry refers to as “Plan a Cruise Month”. Cruise Month is a worldwide movement to learn more about, plan and take a cruise holiday. The campaign offers advice, special cruise line deals and promotions as well as experts to help navigate the many cruise holiday options available for every travel style and budget. Cruising Norway on MSC Preziosa – Pages 32 & 33 Did you know almost 70% of cruise travellers take advantage of the expertise of a travel agent to book a cruise? Carnival Australia Expansion Plans – Page 5 Value of Australia’s Cruise Industry Soars Past $5 Billion – Page 7 Cunard to add a Fourth Ship – Page 8 Featuring a comprehensive coverage of Global Cruising for Cruise Passengers, the Trade and the Industry On Board MSC Meraviglia – Pages 24-26 – Pages 34-36 www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au 1 www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au Front Cover Photos – Photos of MSC Preziosa in Alesund, Norway – John Treacy & Cunard’s Fourth Ship – Cunard Expansion of Boutique Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Countdown on for Majestic Princess . . . . . . 10 Sea Princess Refurbishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Next Generation of Expedition Ship . . . . . . 16 Global Creative Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Viking Cruises 5th Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Refurbishment Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Plans for Seventh Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Our network of Worldwide Cruise Centres agents are all up to date with the various cruise line offers. Contacting us will ensure you receive the best impartial advice available and our offices will have a broader view of everything that is available with all cruise lines. With such knowledge we can ensure we find the best cruise to suit you and your family – a huge advantage. Because of our specialisation and buying power we often have access to better deals than the cruise suppl iers themselves. On our web site we list “Exclusive Deals”. Look out for these as they will always include extra value- add in the form of on board credits, vouchers to specialty restaurants and other benefits. Take a look at www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au Kind regards John Simos General Manager – Cruise CLIA Industry Outlook Report of 2017 Float Out of World Dream 18 Arriving Soon – Norwegian Jewel 21 Avalon River Cruise Report 29 Plus the latest news and information on Global Passenger Cruising Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) released its most recent Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook Report, uncovering cruise travel trends and key insights from within the travel agent industry. The report is part of an ongoing research study from CLIA intended to forecast cruise industry trends among travel agents. This report found that more than 80 percent of travel agents say their cruise volume has increased in 2017, and three-quarters say their clients are spending more this year on cruise tourism. Key findings include these remarks on - Value & Service - Value and services are the most important factors in driving cruise guest satisfaction. Almost all customers (98%) say service is “very” or “extremely” important to their guest satisfaction, and (96%) report the same about value. These factors are followed by comfort (94%) and amenities/activities and destination (90%). Less important, but still essential, price transparency (83%), return on experience (81%), culinary options (80%) and security (79%). Entertainment (67%) and enrichment opportunities (47%) scored lowest, but still provide value for some travellers and Adventure & Expedition Travel - Sixty-two percent of travel agents say their clients are becoming more interested in expedition or adventure travel than in years past. Travellers are looking for exploration, “something new and out of the box,”, and the cruise industry offers many choices—from luxury to adventure boat experiences. That interest isn’t coming from just one type of traveller. It comes from friend groups (62%), couples (61%), solo travellers (50%) and multi-gen groups (46%)—and it finds advantage in a multitude of destinations. Carnival Spirit arriving in Sydney celebrating fifth anniversary in Australia – see page 15. Proudly Published in Australia by John Treacy & Associates. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the information published is correct. www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au 3