More passengers discover P&O UK

[woodscruise]

Australian passenger

numbers onboard P&O UK

Cruises are on the rise, as

Aussies discover the line’s

distinctively British flavour.

THIS CRUISING SEASON MORE AUSTRALIANS ARE

taking up P&O UK World Voyages cruises than

ever before, a trend which is being attributed

to earlier product releases and voyage

departures, as well as an increasing awareness

of what the vessels themselves have to offer.

Speaking with CW yesterday, P&O Cruises

UK managing director, Carol Marlow, said

that the company was eager to grow its

Australian market share even more.

At present, Aussie guests make up around

10% of all P&O UK Cruises guests, with the

remaining 90% made up from its British base.

“The interesting thing about this market

place is to be very clear about what P&O

Cruises World Cruising and the UK based

ships offer verses P&O Cruises Australia

ships,” Marlow said.

“Because they are quite a different

product,” she added.

Recently the company simplified its cruising

definition so that guests can get a good

understanding of what the UK vessels have

to offer.

The definition, according to Marlow, rests

on three pillars, the first of which is the

British-ness of the experience.

“We tailor our product and our ships to the

tastes of people who like today’s British

ways,” she said, adding that the flavour of

the ships mixes contemporary British tastes

with traditional British flair.

The second pillar is that of being ‘The

Trusted Cruise Experts.

“We are the original cruise line,” Marlow said.

“The Peninsula Stream Navigation

Company, which is the company that we

trace our roots from started in the mid 1830s.

“By now we are experts,” she added.

Part-and-parcel with this idea of World

Voyages history, Marlow said that the cruise

line celebrates and embraces life at sea.

“Some of our competitors, and they do it

extremely well, offer floating resorts, we

don’t,” she said.

“We offer holidays on ships with a nautical

feel: you see the officers out and about

around the ships,” she added.

The third pillar, according to Marlow is

providing guests with the holiday of a lifetime

every time they travel.

“And if you put those three things together

that’s what P&O Cruises World Voyages is all

about, and it’s a different feel from P&O

Australia, which does a great job, but in a

different style,” she said.

“We have one of the highest [customer]

repeat rates in the industry [59% across the

brand],” she said.

“And that’s why I’m so delighted that our

repeat rates in Australia are coming up, because

that’s showing the same trend,” Marlow said.

The rise in new and repeat Australian

cruisers travelling with P&O World Voyages,

according to Marlow, can in addition to

increasing market awareness, be traced to

changes made by the company in response

to the Australian market: including adding

more European ports of call on its vessels

northbound sectors, as well as adding more

sector cruises.

These recent cruise season changes have

sparked an 80% increase in Aussie passenger

numbers on its Australia to UK northbound

sectors, as opposed to the 14-15% increase

seen in the company’s southbound voyages.

Meanwhile, Marlow also said that the

company’s decision to bring out its brochure

earlier, as well as having Oriana come to

Australian waters earlier than the usual

February/March World Voyages season also

helped to boost Aussie numbers.

Source Cruise Weekly

[thied]

80% increase in Aussie passenger

numbers on its Australia to UK northbound

Just may Aussie's have had enough of cruiseing the Pacific islands, as the cruise lines that run from Australia are cutting back on where they cruise too in these pacific islands.

at the moment they flogging nz cruises.

[The_Big_M]

at the moment they flogging nz cruises.

 

Which you could say also has had a significant increase. Or you could say P&O is flogging its UK cruises :D

[thied]

Which you could say also has had a significant increase. Or you could say P&O is flogging its UK cruises :D

 

yes you could say that, but carnival wish is P&O who have over 60 cruise to nz over the next 18 month from oz. wish is never been done before.

the aussie dollor is very high which is a great way to cruise over sea's atm.

[The_Big_M]

but carnival wish is P&O who have over 60 cruise to nz over the next 18 month from oz. wish is never been done before.

 

Yes, there's growth all over the place locally. More ships than p&O Aust have ever had before... so that must mean P&O are "flogging the Australian market". And RCCL for that matter. And Holland American Lines...

[thied]

Yes, there's growth all over the place locally. More ships than p&O Aust have ever had before... so that must mean P&O are "flogging the Australian market". And RCCL for that matter. And Holland American Lines...

 

and cruise prices are going up in Australia and cruise prices are going down for the rest of the world. That may why there is such a big up ward trend for Aussie's to cruise over sea's ( the high Aussie dollor helps)

[NSWP]

We are looking to do P&O UK - Arcadia or Aurora, Sydney to Southampton March 2012.

That is why I will be taking notes from Barry BAZZAWS trip !

 

Line voyages are great. You can get on the P&O UK ships, which are true ocean going liners, from Sydney to Southampton for around $7000 if you are not too fussy about your cabin choice.

[Sandielle]

Line voyages are great.

 

I agree with you Les. This is summed up in this week's Cruise Weekly....

 

Part-and-parcel with this idea of World Voyages history, Marlow said that the cruise line celebrates and embraces life at sea.

“Some of our competitors, and they do it extremely well, offer floating resorts, we don’t,” she said.

“We offer holidays on ships with a nautical feel: you see the officers out and about around the ships,” she added.

The third pillar, according to Marlow is providing guests with the holiday of a lifetime every time they travel.

“And if you put those three things together that’s what P&O Cruises World Voyages is all about, and it’s a different feel from P&O Australia, which does a great job, but in a different style,” she said.

“We have one of the highest [customer] repeat rates in the industry [59% across the brand],” she said.