In a huge nod to their increased presence down under, Carnival Cruise Line have today announced the addition of a new ship set to join its Australian fleet in Sydney next year, boasting a capacity for 3900 guests. Carnival Splendor (yep, no “u”) will be heading on down to the harbour city in December 2019, marking the newest and largest ship in the fleet and one which will be home ported year-round in Australia.
“Today’s announcement reflects Carnival’s serious commitment to the Australian market,” explained Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, who was on this morning on-board Carnival Spirit to announce the big news. “We’ve had over 800,000 Australians cruise with Carnival since we launched in Australia just five years ago – a number that would fill the Sydney Cricket Ground 17 times over”.
Representing a whopping 66% increase for the company in the Australian market, the 113,300 gross tonnage cruise linger is estimated to contribute up to $1 million to the Australian market each time it turns around in Sydney. This figure includes items such as the fresh produce sourced locally and of course the influx of tourism cruises of this magnitude bring to the country.
Details on features of the ship are yet to be unveiled but we do know that there will be a range of new dining experiences tailored to local tastes, a brand new waterpark on-board, and iterations of the features from other ships which have been most popular with Australian passengers.
Bookings for Carnival Splendor’s 2019 sailings will open in March this year and sailings for 2020 will open a few months after, in May or June. For more information head to the Carnival Cruise Line website HERE.
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