Carnival shows off new Carnival Encounter, but admits nothing is certain on prices

• Carnival Cruise Line will hold prices steady for now – but the Middle East means nothing is certain.
• New dry dock refurbishment for Carnival Encounter won’t mean a price hike for passengers.
• We’ve been on board and saw the latest upgrades. Watch our video.

Fresh out of dry dock in Singapore, Queensland’s only year-round cruise ship Carnival Encounter is proudly displaying her upgrades and improvements.

However, she re-enters Aussie waters at a time when price hikes due to the global fuel crisis are beginning to hit the Aussie pocket, and Carnival bosses were keen to maintain that, whatever happens, she will remain the most affordable Australian-based ship afloat.

Cruise Passenger was onboard for the official unveiling and asked Carnival Cruise Line bosses what this will mean for Aussie cruisers seeking stability with their affordable holiday plans.

---

Whilst Carnival Cruise Line bosses wouldn’t confirm exactly how many millions had been spent on the refurbishment of Carnival Encounter during her recent dry dock in Singapore, they would confirm that she will maintain a strong appeal to the Australian cruise market. In fact, she is the only cruise ship to sail here year-round, based out of Brisbane.

Assistant Vice President Sales and Marketing for Carnival Cruise Line, Anton Loeb, exclusively told Cruise Passenger onboard for the unveil on Friday that “we are always priced to be at an affordable rate.”

Loeb maintained that “right now, the prices will remain stable.”

He went on: “Crystal balls are hard. Right now, as the only year-round cruise line, we are priced for the market, we are priced at great value. It allows every Australian on board to have that holiday they need, and hopefully they’ll continue to do so.”

With rumours that the recent dry-dock refurbishment will cost around fifty million dollars, the troubles in the Middle East have not impacted booking prices, yet the refurbishment brings significant value for guests onboard.

While the cruise line is quick to point out that many of the upgrades won’t be visually obvious, the improvements behind the scenes are significant, with an overhaul to the environmental systems, shipwide enhancements to sound and lighting with the entertainment systems and even a re-jig of the Twin Racer waterslide to make it faster than ever.

Most noticeable improvements onboard include several new jacuzzis across the five swimming pool areas, new soft furnishings for the exclusive Byron Beach Club pool and lounge area, a re-paint of the hull design, and a welcome new thermal heated lounge suite within the Cloud 9 Spa.

Entertainment has also had a significant boost with two new shows for both the Australian based ships. Rock Revolution: Summer of 69 and Broadway Beats will join the already successful Blanc de Blanc Uncorked stage cabaret production.

The Pantry dining zone has had a facelift, and another brand-new dining addition has joined the ship: Bonsai Sushi on deck 6. Crowd favourites Angelos, Dragon Lady, Luke’s Bar and Grill and the Main Dining Room Waterfront all remain the same.

Cabins remain largely unchanged overall, with a few minor upgrades to soft furnishings also. But with close to 3000 passengers onboard, and close to 1000 crew, Carnival has chosen to invest in silent offerings such as a major overhaul of the laundry machines across the entire ship, the galleys and the cold rooms. Guests may not notice any of these enhancements, but they’re creating extensive energy-efficiency upgrades behind the scenes.

Loeb emphasises that “Carnival Encounter provides great value at sea in Autumn, Winter, Spring or Summer” and offers prices from $459 per person (based on a twin share) for a three-day cruise from Brisbane. Broken down, that’s $153 per night, including accommodation, meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and entertainment. Hard to beat, at sea or on land.

Carnival Encounter arrived back into Queensland from Singapore, with a repositioning itinerary via Indonesia following her refurb. She has now departed Brisbane for her first sailing following the refurbishment, with a cruise to The Great Barrier Reef. For more information or to see prices to cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines, click here.

Cruise passenger will continue to provide updates with the latest cruise news, tips, reviews and events.

For a full video tour of the latest upgrades to Carnival Encounter, click here.