Carnival Australia CEO Ann
Sherry talks to Cruise Weekly
about opening up
discussions with the Navy.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S REVIEW INTO CRUISE
ship access to Garden Island brings Sydney
a step closer to a second facility east of the
Harbour Bridge – not at Port Kembla or Port
Botany – according to Carnival Australia
CEO Ann Sherry.
In an interview with Cruise Weekly last
week Sherry dismissed an article, published
in the Daily Telegraph, which exposed a
“secret” report that suggested larger cruise
ships may be forced to berth as far away as
Wollongong or Newcastle.
“That report was commissioned by the
previous government and it was just to
canvass options – I was on the committee
that looked at it, and Port Kembla and Port
Botany were thrown in as complete
afterthoughts,” Sherry said.
“We needed to close off all other potential
sites because Sydney Harbour is where
people want to come in and out of.
“Those other options aren’t workable.”
In the report, the Royal Australian Navy
submission stated that it would struggle to
accommodate cruise liners as well as its own
growing fleet at its Woolloomooloo base, but
Sherry says this is nothing new.
“The Navy have been saying that all along.
“They have been closed on discussions,
but this announcement [about the Garden
Island review] at least opens up the
discussion,” she said.
“It also shows that at a government level,
there is more of a balance between the
Navy’s operational and security needs and
the tourism value of cruising.”
“Port Kembla and Port Botany
were thrown in as complete
afterthoughts…”
In the past, only Queen Mary 2 has been
permitted by the Navy to dock at Garden
Island.
“We know we’ve got a precedent with the
QM2 allowed to berth there, but why only
one ship, why not more?” Sherry asked.
“During the peak cruise season, around
January and February, the Navy has a
family-friendly policy to give its crew a
couple of months leave, so Garden Island is
not very active at that time.
“We think there is a better way to organise
that, and we are happy to work with the
Navy to use this amazing infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, Harvey World travel agent
Richard Davey called the review a “red
herring”.
“The public is being sold the idea that it’s
giving the green light to Garden Island, but
it’s just a discussion, and I worry that it’s the
final nail in the whole thing,” he said.
Carnival Australia represents P&O Cruises,
P&O World Voyages, Cunard, Princess
Cruises, Costa Cruises and Seabourn.
