Carnival Cruise Line is taking a few tips from its more experienced Australian sister-brand P&O Cruises Australia, by adopting shorter cruises into its new program.
A few years back, P&O Cruises began trialling shorter holidays called P&OSeaBreaks.
These two to four day itineraries gave first time cruisers the chance to test the waters before booking longer holidays.
After seeing major success in the shorter holidays, the cruise line started escalating the number of SeaBreaks every year, even taking them out of Sydney Harbour and to ports from Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Now Carnival – which primarily attracts new Australian cruisers – is hoping to bring in more first timers by adopting shorter holidays that are similar to P&O but still uniquely Carnival.
In the line’s 2016/17 program launched late last week, the cruise line has introduced seven weekend getaways leaving on Thursday or Friday and returning early Monday.
“They [Australians] can try cruising if they’ve never cruised with us before, see if they like it and then come back.”
Jennifer Vandekreeke, Carnival Cruise Lines Vice President and General Manager in Australia
Among them is the four-night getaway to adventure paradise, Moreton Island. The cruise departs from Sydney on Thursday and returns on Monday.
During 2016/17 Carnival will bring back its popular Tasmania cruises, which Jennifer says offer an ‘amazing experience to a lovely place’.
Carnival returns to the South Pacific in 2016/17.
The five-night cruises to Tasmania, visits Hobart and haunting Port Arthur.
South Pacific also returns in the coming years, with eight-night cruises to places such as Isle of Pines, Mystery Island, Noumea and more.
Carnival Legend in Tasmania
Other features of the program include six-night Melbourne Cup cruises in November 2016 and 2017, a new 10-night journey around New Zealand’s South Island in January 2017 and four cruises between Sydney and Hawaii on Carnival Legend, taking in the stunning islands of the South Pacific and Tahiti on an 18-night journey.
The program is on sale now and includes sailings on both Carnival Legend and Carnival Spirit.
