P&O has become the first cruise line to visit Australia’s Moreton Island.
The 1,950-passenger Pacific Jewel cruise ship docked at the Queensland island on Saturday (16 March) as part of a four-night voyage from Sydney.
Passengers were greeted by Queensland Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey and Carnival Australia’s CEO Ann Sherry, and used their time on the island to partake in activities such as dolphin feeding, canoeing, snorkelling, quad biking and bird watching.
“Moreton Island is literally on our doorstep and we’re delighted to be giving close to 12,000 interstate visitors the opportunity to experience its beauty for the first time in 2013,” Ms Sherry said. “The response from our passengers has been overwhelmingly positive and I know they will return home to spread the word about what an exceptional discovery Moreton Island is.”
Minister Stuckey said the addition of Moreton Island to the Queensland cruise map was “another win for the state’s economy”.
“The most recent available figures show that the cruise industry generated an estimated AU$590 million (US$614m) for the Queensland economy in 2011-12, including AU$336 million in direct expenditure,” Stackey said. “Cruising has been the fastest growing segment of the Queensland tourism market during the past year, and the Newman Government is happy to support innovative experiences like the P&O Cruises’ visit to Moreton Island.”
P&O now plans five more visits to Moreton Island in 2013.
