Princess Cruises’ 2000-guest Sun Princess today became the first cruise ship to return to Kangaroo Island as a show of support for the local community as it begins the recovery from the impact of the recent bushfire disaster.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall and Kangaroo Island’s community leaders and firefighters along with Princess Cruises Senior Vice President Asia Pacific Stuart Allison were on hand as Sun Princess anchored off Penneshaw.
Princess Cruises’ guests came ashore on tender vessels and fanned out on a range of tours by local operators while many others visited market stalls established by the local community on the nearby Penneshaw Oval.
“Princess Cruises’ visit to Kangaroo Island today is an expression of solidarity with the local community and is symbolic of its resilience and courage,” Mr Allison said.
“It is both an honour and a privilege for Sun Princess to be the first cruise ship to return to Kangaroo Island following the fires that resulted in the tragic loss of lives, property and wildlife.
“We are pleased that with today’s visit Sun Princess can play a part in sending a message to Australia and the world that Kangaroo Island is on the path to recovery.
“It is our hope that this visit by Sun Princess and her guests will serve to boost morale and send a message to the community that their lives are getting back to normal.”
Mr Allison thanked Kangaroo Island’s tourism sector for the warmth of the welcome for Sun Princess’s guests and their efforts to make the first cruise ship call a resounding success.
Sun Princess is currently on a 13-night cruise from its current home port of Fremantle with the majority of guests on board residents of Western Australia.
An earlier cruise to Kangaroo Island had been diverted to Port Lincoln at the height of the bushfire emergency.
Sun Princess’s Captain Diego Perra said guests and crew were very mindful of the significance of being the first cruise ship to call at Kangaroo Island following the fire emergency.
Many guests had made donations to bushfire relief with to be directed to the South Australian Government Bushfire Appeal. Princess Cruises is also directing revenue it would normally receive from the day’s shore excursions to the appeal.
Princess Cruises is part of Carnival Australia which has pledged $1.9 million in total to various bushfire relief efforts in Australia. This includes $1.5 million from the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, much of which is funding a UNICEF Australia initiative to support the back-to-school needs of children whose families lost everything in the fires in Australia this summer.
Carnival Australia had previously announced a $350,000 commitment to Red Cross Australia to support its bushfire relief efforts.
“Our guests are aware that in some ways this isn’t a normal visit to Kangaroo Island and that their presence is to show respect and solidarity to the local community,” Captain Perra said.
“Understandably, some local tours won’t be available as a result of the impact of the fires.
“We have encouraged our guests to support the local tourism operators who have worked so hard to ensure there is a good selection of experiences from which to choose.
“All of us on Sun Princess are so proud to know that we are helping send a message that Kangaroo Island’s recovery has begun.”
Sun Princess is due to depart Penneshaw later today at 6pm.
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For additional media requests, please contact:
Meg Koffel | Meg.Koffel@princesscruises.com.au | +61 481 437 735
David Jones | David.Jones@carnivalaustralia.com | +61 401 081 898
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the fastest growing international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 18 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognised as “Best Cruise Line for Itineraries.” In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Holidays enabled by the OceanMedallion, the holiday industry’s most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on
a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to a hassle-free, personalised holiday giving guests more time to do the things they love most. MedallionClass Holidays will be activated on five ships by the end of 2019. An activation plan will continue across the global fleet in 2020 and beyond.
Princess Cruises continues its multi-year, “Come Back New Promise” – a $450 million-dollar product innovation and cruise ship renovation campaign that will continue to enhance the line’s onboard guest experience. These enhancements result in more moments of awe, lifetime memories and meaningful stories for guests to share from their cruise holiday. The product innovations include partnerships with award-winning Chef Curtis Stone; engaging entertainment inspired shows with Broadway-legend Stephen Schwartz; immersive activities for the whole family from Discovery and Animal Planet that include exclusive shore excursions to onboard activities; the ultimate sleep at sea with the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed and more.
Two new Royal-class ships are currently under construction - Enchanted Princess, scheduled for delivery in June 2020, followed by Discovery Princess in November 2021. Princess previously announced that two new (LNG) ships which will be the largest ships in the Princess fleet, accommodating approximately 4,300 guests are planned for delivery in 2023 and 2025. Princess now has four ships arriving over the next five years between 2020 and 2025. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).
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