Opinion: Our biggest complaint isn’t prices, it’s repeat itineraries and complacent lines

• While Royal Caribbean excitedly announced the return of Quantum of the Seas, Aussies have been left flat by where they will be going.
• Across the major cruise lines, cruisers want more variety in destinations.
• It’s driving some cruisers to consider different holiday options.

Yesterday saw a big win for Aussies as Royal Caribbean confirmed Quantum of the Seas would be returning to Australia. Alongside Anthem of the Seas, Australia will have two Quantum-class ships on our shores once again.

However, many passengers feel extremely disappointed to see that there are no new ports or destinations. 

As cruise lines have tightened their purse strings in recent years, we’ve seen major cruise lines in Australia like Royal Caribbean and Carnival largely standardise their itineraries, offering less variety and shorter cruises.

Even New Zealand is a victim of the “weekend cruise” – you just can’t get there and back in four days.

Aussie cruisers are unhappy that the new Royal itineraries won’t bring anything new to the table, meaning experienced cruisers won’t have anything new to try out. Australia is known for its repeat cruisers, who love to cruise year-in-year-out, but it appears a lack of variety is testing their loyalty.

Previous Royal Caribbean surveys sent to Aussie cruisers had ignited some hope, but yesterday’s release confirms itineraries will stay mostly the same for now.

This survey suggested new options in the Pacific that excited customers who are tired of just Vanuatu and New Caledonia and want more options to Papua New Guinea, FIji, French Polynesia and more. 

Furthermore, Aussies who live outside of Brisbane or Sydney are feeling hard done by. Of the six ships across the Carnival and Royal Caribbean Australian fleets, all of them homeport only out of Sydney and Brisbane, apart from a few post dry-dock sailings from Carnival in Melbourne.

Beyond this, ports around Australia are feeling the strain, as operations centre almost entirely around the Pacific, New Zealand, New South Wales and Queensland, save for a couple of cruises to Victoria and Tasmania.

Neither Royal Caribbean or Carnival have any cruises scheduled to Western Australia, and Carnival has just one sailing that will visit South Australia. Furthermore, cruises to Tasmania and Victoria are decreasing in quantity. 

Turnaround cruises to other Aussie ports, could increase variety for passengers as well as further spread the economic benefits of cruise amongst other parts of Australia.

It should be said, blame should not necessarily lie with the cruise lines. Government and tourism bodies should also be working to provide infrastructure and promotion of other ports around Australia and beyond.

For example, we’ve seen the success of Eden as a port after the wharf was expanded and the port promoted to cruise lines.

It’s up to the government and industry stakeholders, as well the cruise lines to work together and provide not only more variety for cruisers, but create as much economic benefit to coastal communities in Australia and surrounding countries as possible.

Nonetheless, right now, Aussies are calling for new cruise destinations. Here’s what they are saying.

What are people saying?

Cruise faithfuls commenting on a Facebook post of the new sailings release were generally unhappy with the new itineraries. One cruiser summed up the unfortunate sentiment: “They just go to the same old destinations and at a higher price”.

Cruiser Kay Bishop wrote: “For the first time in years, I haven’t booked when first released. Same old, same old.”

Cruiser Edmund said the same: “Yes, same old, same old! There is no imagination at RCL in looking for new destinations. How many times can we go to Mystery Island?”

Angela Dick felt equally. “Sick of the repetitive itineraries. Have booked back-to-back in the Med next year on Legend and Brilliance instead.”

Margaret Provan was also uninspired: “Just checked itineraries – boring, nothing new or different” and cruisers Melissa Wilde shared the sentiment, “Same same, these itineraries are old and we really need some new ones.”

Cruiser Darly Pearce wrote a bit more solemnly: “Sadly, cruising in Australia has become “uninspiring’ overall. It looks like we have been abandoned. There must be reasons other than customer-related ones.

“It seems the desire for cruising by customers has never been stronger, but the cruise companies aren’t responding.

“Is it too difficult for them to make money here due to government charges & regulations? Decent length cruises around Fiji & the South Pacific are almost non-existent.”

Sylvia Calderbank summed up the plight of the regional cruiser as a Fremantle local.

“Fremantle! Fremantle! Fremantle?? Forgotten again.

“Well, no more having to endure crappy flights (5hr 15min) to get to Sydney or Brisbane just to go on a cruise for me. Just isn’t worth it. 

“The cost of air fare, hotels and Ubers plus carting luggage around. I am over it!

“I shall book into a local resort and spend my money going to restaurants where the food is good. Cruising certainly isn’t what it used to be, and no longer worth the effort if you live in WA.”