Poor Ports May Bruise Cruise Lines

HIT song What about me? may be popular in the karaoke bars of cruise ships around Australia, but now the sector is asking that same question when it comes to port infrastructure. The report, commissioned by cruise operator Carnival Australia, said that multi-purpose berths, with facilities to handle cargo and passengers, were a possible solution to the problem.

Bless The Mall For The Cruising Crew

THE largest passenger cruise ship to visit Newcastle brought Hunter Street Mall one of its biggest crowds yesterday.

Trip Of A Lifetime Was Just A Ferry Ride

A dream cruise it most definitely was not. In one of the most expensive and embarrassing bungles in recent shipping history, the P&O liner Aurora has been forced to abort its 103-day "grand voyage" at a stated cost to its operating company of ##22 million ($54 million).

Tossed At Sea

A leisurely cruise aboard a traditional vessel in perfect blue waters - it sounds magical. Kendall Hill, and his 18 shipmates, are taken for a ride in the Med.

Cruise Ships Ensure The World Is Our Oyster

WHEN I began working on the Cruise Hunter project I was told by professionals in the cruise industry that it would take three to five years to get the first cruise ship into Newcastle port.

Cruise Ships Book Berths In Hunter

THE Hunter's cruise industry is poised for rapid growth in 2004 after the success of visits from the MV Europa and The World cruise ships.

Gulet Of Fools

A leisurely cruise aboard a traditional vessel in perfect blue waters - it sounds magical. Kendall Hill, and his 18 shipmates, are taken for a ride in the Med.

The Deep Blue Beyond The Heads

Pilgrimages to fresh ports begin at sailing school.

Step Off Board For Real Local Flavour

I OFTEN hear cruise passengers lament that a port stop they've looked forward to didn't allow enough time to get to know the place, let alone its people.

Cruise Passengers Stranded As Winds Close Port

ABOUT 1,500 cruise passengers were stranded 25km off Sydney last night after storms forced the closure of city ports.

Five-star Life Afloat

CRUISE the Caribbean for free and stay aboard a luxury cruise ship with the help of New World Cruise Ship Employment Agency.

Gladly Neither Home Nor Hosed

TURNING on a sewage pump-out system for cruise vessels was not Acting Prime Minister John Anderson's best photo opportunity yesterday.

We're A Legend For Travellers

BOOSTED by the Olympic spotlight on Australia, bookings from America and Europe for the second series of the Royal Journeys' 12 world cruise itineraries on board the Legend of the Seas have surpassed all expectations. Royal Caribbean International's superliner, which is almost three football fiel

Euro Fuel Protests Spread To Israel

MADRID.- Angry fishermen blocked Spain's second-busiest port, and protests over the high price of diesel fuel have spread to Israel with truckers threatening to paralyse the nation's roads. In Europe, truckers in Sweden, Norway and Finland blocked ports and oil terminals as governments held tal

Cruise Your Way Through Winter

IT'S freezing cold, rainy...and the GST seems to have increased everyone's winter misery by 10 per cent. In recent days, it's easy to think that summer is just a fantasy. But that fantasy is waiting in the sun just over the horizon and a life raft is leaving next month to take you straight ther

Wait Here For Your Gst Tourist Refund

FROM July 1 international travellers will need to be at the airport at least 21/4 hours before their scheduled flight. The extra 15 minutes is how long it could take to queue for a GST refund on newly purchased goods. The same advice applies to cruise passengers leaving Australia from terminal

No Plans To Rush On Third Stevedore

The Bracks Government has adopted a softly-softly approach on its stated intention to introduce a third international stevedore to the Port of Melbourne. The Minister for Ports, Ms Candy Broad, in an address to industry, said a new international stevedore would be an essential ingredient in the

Cruise Industry On The Increase

Victorian tourism and the burgeoning cruise-ship industry in particular have received a boost with the allocation of $14 million in the state Budget for works on Station Pier. The money represents the biggest financial commitment in years to the pier, the upgrading of which is a key part of the

Tourists Give Balkans A Miss

FEARS of the conflict in Yugoslavia escalating have caused an increasing number of foreign tourists to cancel trips to Greece, Croatia and other countries in the Balkans. In Europe, some British and German holidaymakers are taking a dimmer view of Croatia's sunny coastline and cruise operators ha

Light-rail Plan For Station Pier

A $14 million refurbishment of Station Pier outlined in the state Budget would enable light rail services to be extended to the pier in the future, a State Government spokeswoman said yesterday. Naval vessels and cruise liners would use the inner west berth, which is on the opposite side of the p