Christopher Coates: Australia a growing market for CMV

Coates, who is making his fifth trip to Australia, was speaking in Sydney on board the 63,786gt Columbus, which is halfway through her second world cruise.

Cruiseco, Australia’s consortium of cruise specialists, has a 72-night package departing Sydney for Tilbury in the 1,400-passenger Columbus, with post-cruise accommodation in London and flights back  to major Australian gateways.

Coates said there are strong bookings for her third world voyage in 2020 and plans are under way for another in 2021.

He said the decision to put the 1, 220-passenger Vasco da Gama into Australia for the company’s annual extended season at the end of this year has been a runaway success.

He said 55% of forward bookings to date are from the local Fremantle and Adelaide markets.

As previously reported, Vasco da Gama, P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Eden, formerly Holland America Line’s Statendam, is replacing the 600-passenger Astor which will have spent six years operating extended seasons from Fremantle and Adelaide and will have carried more than 115,000 passengers.

After an extensive refit, the renaming ceremony for Vasco da Gama will take place in Bremerhaven on June 9. However, the name of the godmother is still a closely guarded secret.