Aussie agents experience a spirited sailaway out of Sydney

	Carnival Cruise Lines senior vice president guest operations Mark Tamis; Carnival Cruise Lines CEO and president Gerry Cahill and Carnival Cruise Lines Australia and New Zealand director Jennifer Vandekreeke

Travel agents from around Australia and New Zealand boarded Carnival Spirit last Friday for the largest inaugural sailaway party Sydney has ever seen.

Approximately 2,000 agents and their guests experienced the full ‘zen to adrenalin’ experience taking in the vast array of amenities onboard, from the very popular ‘Serenity’ adults-only area to the adrenalin pumping ‘Green Thunder’.

Carnival Cruise Lines president and CEO Gerry Cahill was onboard along with a host of executives from Carnival’s Miami head office and Carnival Australia to welcome and thank agents for their support in welcoming the first-ever Carnival ship to homeport outside of the U.S.

“We support the travel agent channel one hundred percent,” Carnival Cruise Lines director for Australia and New Zealand Jennifer Vandekreeke told e-Travel Blackboard.

“They have done such a fabulous job with bookings so far and we plan on continuing our growth through that channel.”

Mr Cahill and Ms Vandekreeke also shared their desire to bring another Carnival ship down under, citing infrastructure and the lack of space in Australian ports as the main deterrent.

As it currently stands, Carnival Spirit will only be able to call into Sydney and Melbourne in 2012/13 with Tasmania added to 2014 itineraries.

“It’s our intention to expand, we would hope to expand out here,” Mr Cahill said at a media roundtable onboard.

“The ports and infrastructure in Australia was designed for transit and most of it was designed for smaller ships, so that is an issue.

“The only thing I can tell you from my experience worldwide is that it has a tendency to sort itself out though...if the market is there then we would love to grow here.”

Agents were also given the opportunity to win one of three cruises aboard Carnival Spirit in her maiden season and were privy to an even bigger surprise prior to disembarking, when notes were left in each cabin notifying passengers that Carnival had foot the bill for all beverages consumed during the one-night voyage as well.

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