Cruising on ‘crest of a wave’

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 30

Cruising on ‘crest of a wave’

Ocean cruises are booming in popularity as a holiday option, according to the staff at Asia Pacific Travel. New Zealanders are part of what an international travel consultant, Maree McCarthy, describes as a global surge of enthusiasm for ocean cruises.

"A cruise ship leaves Miami every thirty minutes at present,” she says. Asia Pacific is currently promoting the freshly refitted P and O-Sitmar’s Fairstar to the public with events such as the cruise evenings which begin this week.

A video library is also available for prospective customers.

Joining a cruise requires a good degree of foresight as cruises in peak times of the year can be booked out twelve months in advance at present.

The optimism the travel

industry feels for the future of cruising is summed up in the massive $lO million refit carried out on the Fairstar in dry dock in Singapore recently. Major works to the ship included the addition of extra deck space, reconstruction of all cabins, new lighting, seating

and decor in the dining rooms.

Additionally every mov-. ing part of the ship was overhauled to ensure peak operation in terms of reliability, efficiency and passenger safety into the next decade. Additional desalination equipment was installed, the boilers overhauled

and the latest “state-of-the-art” navigation and communications equipment installed. The huge refit has enabled P and O-Sitmar to position themselves in a position of enhanced strength in the booming Pacific cruise market. “This year we have again taken steps to surpass even our own previous high standards toward our goals of delivering an outstanding cruise product for holidaymakers,” says Mr Phil Young, the Syd-ney-based managing director of P and O-Sit-mar.

Mr Young said the most significant changes passengers would notice onboard the new-look Fairstar were the deck extension and the public lounge reconstructions. The former, while providing more deck space for sun worshippers, has also allowed an expansion of facilities on the deck be-

low for luncheons and shady relaxation plus a significant extension of the disco area for night time fun. The prices for the cruises are extremely competitive and contradict the lingering public perception that cruises are the preserve of the well-heeled only. Maree McCarthy says the cruises attract a broad spectrum of clients with no discernible profile in terms of age or income, except at New Year when the younger market is strongly visible. “Cruises are definitely not just for the ritzy, glitzy rich,” she says. Groups can also gain concessions if they book ahead with sufficient lead time. Flexibility to client holiday plans is the hallmark of the cruises and excellence of service is also the theme at Asia Pacific Travel.