Carnival Cruise Lines will locate one of its cruise ships full-time in Australia from October next year.
The 88,500-tonne Carnival Spirit will operate a schedule of 8-12 day voyages from Sydney to the Pacific Islands.
The move represents the first time Carnival Cruise Lines has ventured into Australian waters.
Carrying 2,667 passengers, Carnival Spirit will be the first ship to be based in Sydney year round that is too tall to sail under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
At almost 53 metres, she is more than three metres taller than the specified clearance height for ships passing under the Bridge.
Carnival Spirit will be based at the only cruise facility east of the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay’s Overseas Passenger Terminal.
Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, said while the primary market would be Australians and New Zealanders, Carnival’s strong brand recognition in the United States would play a role in attracting more US tourists to Australia.
