MEDIA RELEASE
October 16, 2008
New Dawn Marks Start of Summer Cruising Season
Auckland’s economy is set to get a half-million dollar boost when Princess Cruises’ Dawn Princess, makes her maiden
visit to Auckland city this Saturday, marking the start of the summer cruise season.
The 77,000-tonne ship will be the first of nine Carnival Australia ships expected to bring a record 35,461 passengers
and more than $40 million in economic benefits to New Zealand between now and April 2009.
The record number of passenger numbers represents an impressive 20 per cent increase compared to the 2007-08 cruise
season and further underlines the growing popularity of the nation’s ports.
Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry said Dawn Princess and her sister ship Sun Princess, which both carry up to 2000
passengers, will be frequent visitors to New Zealand shores during the coming season, with seven 13-night voyages
scheduled from Australia.
Meanwhile, the stunning 115,000 tonne Diamond Princess – the largest luxury ship to be based in Australasian waters this
cruise season – will visit New Zealand from December as part of her six-cruise programme.
“New Zealand has always been a favourite destination for our cruise passengers, but interest this year has really
jumped. It seems Australians are realising that cruising is a very comfortable and easy way to explore their closest
neighbour,” Ms Sherry said.
“Basing an unprecedented three superliners in Australia for the coming season gives us the opportunity to offer exciting
new local cruising itineraries, allowing more Australian and New Zealand passengers to experience the romance of
cruising with Princess Cruises.”
Ms Sherry said Carnival Australia cruise ships would make 90 calls at New Zealand ports this season, a significant
increase in passenger numbers compared to the 73 calls made by seven Carnival Australia ships during the 2007-08 cruise
season.
“This is our biggest cruise season yet in New Zealand, with 90 visits to eight different ports on the New Zealand coast
– Auckland, Dunedin, Tauranga, Raratonga, Napier, Christchurch, Wellington and Bay of Islands,” Ms Sherry said.
Dawn Princess also revives the connection between Princess Cruises and TV series The Love Boat. The hit series, which is
widely credited with triggering a boom in the popularity of cruise holidays, was filmed aboard Princess Cruises ships in
ports around the globe, and the six original cast members re-united to christen Dawn Princess when she was launched.
After calling at Auckland, Dawn Princess will visit Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin on her way to Australia.
She will return to Auckland on December 14 on her first cruise to New Zealand from Sydney, having visited Dunedin,
Christchurch, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga before sailing north to call at the Bay of Islands on her return journey
to Australia.
ENDS