Carnival Australia last week revealed that it would be keeping the Carnival Spirit, one of Australia’s favourite ships will be remaining in Australia.

The line, earlier this year, was scheduled to spend the Australian in winter but she will be returning Down Under immediately after her drydock in Singapore in May 2018.

Carnival Cruise Line Vice President of Australia, Jennifer Vandekreeke spoke to Cruise Passenger about the decision to keep the ship in Aussie waters.

She also revealed that Carnival are keen to put a third ship into Australia.

“We’ve just had such a great demand for the ship in Australian waters and among Australian cruisers that we believed it was a good idea to keep the Spirit here,” she said.

She also dispelled any rumors that the move to keep the Spirit in Australia was due to the arrival of Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s fourth largest ship. The new vessel, arriving on December 15 has also been hailed as one of the most technologically advanced, putting up stiff competition against other local cruise brands.

“The decision was not because of the arrival of Ovation. In fact, it’s great to see new ships which will attract first-time cruisers. The whole idea is to get new people onboard all of our ships and the more attractive the ships are, the more we can change people’s perception of cruising.”

Ms Vandekreeke also said that Carnival are keen to bring another ship to Australia, but the lack of space in major cities is preventing the growth of the cruise line.

“There are massive constraints on ports in all major cities in Australia. Sydney is full and we would love to put a ship in Brisbane. Queenslanders would fit the brand perfectly but there is simply no space available.”

The 2018 itineraries are on sale with the first cruise departing from Singapore on June 6, 2018. The ship will be sailing to ports in Thailand and Indonesia before visiting Darwin and Port Douglas. Fares start from $2449* per person twin share.

Carnival Spirit’s new winter cruises will also include an array of 7-12 night escapes to the tropical islands of Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia as well as a range of three-night short cruises and four-night sailings to Queensland’s popular Moreton Island. Fares start from $649*per person twin share for a three-night weekend sampler cruise departing December 7, 2018.   Carnival Spirit will also be lining up for her fifth Melbourne Cup cruise in 2018, setting sail from Sydney on November 4, 2018, with fares priced from $1069* per person quad share.