Deals on the cards as Royal Caribbean targets Australia for fly cruise passengers
DestinationsRoyal Caribbean is to target Australians with fly-cruise deals to Singapore, where they have based Quantum of the Seas over the next five years.
A new multi-million dollar campaign to attract hundreds of thousands of fly cruise passengers to the island state was launched this week with Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport.
Australia has been singled out as a major target. Cruise passengers may well see cheap air fares and special deals in coming months – especially over our winter – to tempt them to cruise and stay.
Singapore is already a favourite among Australian fly cruisers, and Asia has eroded Europe’s status as our number one long haul destination thanks to Singapore’s excellent cruise infrastructure.
Sydney Harbour’s capacity problems has seen lines like Royal Caribbean and Princess launch fly-cruise products. Both lines have ships based in Singapore.
The new campaign and partnerships were announced at a welcome for Quantum of the Seas’ inaugural season in Singapore. She will be based at the Marina Bay Sands Cruise Centre Singapore for six-month seasons over the next five years.
The partnerships will aim to bring over 600,000 passengers to the island republic from Australia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as long-haul markets like United Kingdom and the United States.
Angie Stephen, Royal Caribbean Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, said: “As part of our ongoing efforts to promote Singapore as a fly-cruise destination, we are working with local trade partners within Australia to promote our fly-cruise itineraries to travellers through marketing and PR activities.”
She said Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class experiences have grown in popularity among Australians, following the deployment of Ovation of the Seas in Sydney.
“Australians are attracted to exotic and tropical destinations such as Singapore, and the five-year deployment of our Quantum Class ships here will allow them to experience the best of both worlds,” she said.
Quantum of the Seas’ six-month homeporting season in Singapore will add around 150,000 passengers to the local cruising scene as well.
With Changi’s Airport air-connectivity to over 380 cities, fly-cruise has also become a fast-growing passenger segment in Singapore. Changi Airport Group recently launched a special transfer service for passengers flying into Singapore and sailing out on cruise lines, along with a special lounge.
