Cruising takes off

P &O Cruises has extended its winter cruising period in Western Australia, announcing a number of cruises set for next year the company says will deliver more than $15 million in economic benefit to the state.

P&O will dock in Fremantle Ports 12 times next winter, while Broome, Exmouth, Geraldton, Busselton and Esperance will be visited 14 times.

Four special food and wine tours will take cruise ship passengers from Fremantle to Margaret River over a three-night period.

Longer cruises from Fremantle will visit Indonesia and Singapore.

Chief executive Ann Sherry said WA was an important market the company was hoping to capitalise on following a fleet expansion.

From next year P&O will operate five cruise ships in Australia, up from three.

“P&O Cruises’ expansion ... will help the industry achieve its goal of a million passengers in 2015, five years earlier than forecast,” Ms Sherry said.

Tourism Minister Liza Harvey said WA would benefit from a resurgence in cruising, kicked off earlier this year when Princess Cruises said it would expand its WA services to include a summer season.

“Cruising is an important arm of WA’s tourism industry, contributing $118 million from 60 cruise ship visits in 2012-13 and it’s great to see businesses in the various ports catering to passengers to make their experience extraordinary,” she said.