The return of MSC Cruises to the Arabian Peninsula is expected to attract strong sales from the Australian market with interest in the region stoked by this year’s alliance between Qantas and Emirates.
The cruise line last operated the itinerary two seasons ago, and although it was “very, very popular” with European markets, there was less interested from Down Under, managing director Australia and New Zealand Lynne Clarke told Travel Today.
"Australians were really going to Dubai as a bit of a stopover," she said. But the growth of cruise in the region and improvement to infrastructure in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have made it a more appealing option.
"And people are looking for cruises a little bit closer to home and this offers something very different," she added.
The new program for MSC, launched in Sydney last night, also features changes to its Grand Mediterranean Cruises enabling travellers to choose to start their itinerary in either Venice or Genoa, with a free land transfer between the two ports still included.
“Grand Mediterranean accounts for 57% of our business from Australia – it’s massive for us,” she said.
Its multi-porting option, which enables passengers to join itineraries at a range of points around the Mediterranean, is also very popular with Aussies who like to incorporate MSC cruises into a larger trip. A range of three-night taster cruises are also expected to see strong local bookings particularly with the growing younger market.
“Our demographic is totally shifting,” Clarke said. “We’re seeing a lot more 21 to 23 year olds – it’s a market we’re really interested in.”
Meanwhile, Clarke confirmed that the cruise line’s performance is in line with the Cruise Lines International Association industry averages for 2012, but is seeing “even faster” growth this year.
