Competition is good , and Holland America would offer a much different product for Australia than RCL offers. HAL appeals to older couples, seniors mostly. YES, they also get families and younger (45-65) adults, but they are a different audience than the Australia market for RCL which appears to skew even younger than the US audience (based on my casual observations).
The truth is that Australia seems to have a problem with lots of drinking. etc. They also hate to tip.
The more somber and adult HAL just might appeal to a marklet in Australia that currently avoids cruise ships.
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I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
A couple of years ago HAL gave careful consideration to positioning a Vista Class ship (specifically, the Westerdam) in the Australian market. It was felt that there would be market for a larger vessel on the New Zealand and Australia cruises. However, the expense of operating a Vista that far from the USA was considered prohibitive (the Vistas don't have the cruising range that the S and R ships have), and since those vessels were designed more for the USA "bread-and-butter" runs it was felt best to keep them in the US market and in Europe.
Speculation does exist, however, that this thinking has changed. It may be that the Volendam and another ship, perhaps a Vista, would provide two different HAL products for that market ... appealing to both the older and younger crowds (respectively). Perhaps. We'll see which ship HAL decides to deploy to that market in addition to the Volendam.
__________________ Greg+
Booked and Up-Coming:
MS Amsterdam -- Alaska 14 -Days, September 7, 2012
G'day folks,
You are so right regarding both tipping and many passengers avoiding the 'party ships' We almose always use HAL for the reason that you have a more well behaved group on board. During our lastest South Pacific Islands cruise on the Volendam in Jan, the ship was over booked & many US pax were offered refunds & replacement cruises. I believe they squeezed in 100 extra passengers. I would love to see a vista ship here in the future as I am sure it would island hop across. Being the bread & butter of profits, I would doubt this as America is overloaded with ships & many depart with plenty of room. With the huge growth in cruise trave within Australia for both locals & may US, Canadian, Asian & European passengers, this is where the profit will be made & as a CCL shareholder, I couldn't be more happy.
We look forward tio seeing you folks downunder sometime soon.
We look forward tio seeing you folks downunder sometime soon.
Thanks!
I'm booked on the Volendam in 2011 for a cruise from Auckland through to Sydney and then on to Singapore by way of Indonesia. Looking forward to it. I've never been "downunder" before, and am excited at the prospect of going!
__________________ Greg+
Booked and Up-Coming:
MS Amsterdam -- Alaska 14 -Days, September 7, 2012
Have a look at these video's from my collection & it will provide you with all the sights.
Make sure you get up early as the ship sails into Milford Sound as it is a high rain area & every time we have sailed in, it pours down by 10am
Have a look at these video's from my collection & it will provide you with all the sights.
Make sure you get up early as the ship sails into Milford Sound as it is a high rain area & every time we have sailed in, it pours down by 10am
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Report: 2nd ship to Australia
Greg+
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