Fly free from Wellington for winter cruising

Wednesday, 19 January 2005

Fly free from Wellington for winter island cruising

Winter cruising to the South Pacific just got more affordable and accessible for people who live out of Auckland.

This follows the announcement that P&O Cruises will fly passengers from centres around the country to Auckland to meet their cruises.

Beginning immediately, people booking on P&O Cruises' Pacific Sky voyages out of Auckland in 2005 will fly free to and from the City of Sails.

Passengers will be able to fly from Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington or Palmerston North and then be taken by coach to Princes Wharf to join their cruises[1] .

In addition, all bookings taken by February 28 receive a 20% discount off the full fare.

Sales are available until February 28 or until berths are sold out. P&O Cruises says bookings for Pacific Sky are already very active. The fly free deals are available on certain departures, only to those booking twin cabins on Pacific Sky.

Pacific Sky is making a record eight cruises to and from Auckland in 2005 to the South Pacific. Also included for the first time are two school holiday departures.

Shannon Currie, P&O Cruises' New Zealand business development manager, says the fly-cruise deal will make it even more affordable for Kiwis living out of Auckland to take a winter cruise getaway to the South Pacific.

"A couple travelling on this deal will save considerably on airfares. With all main meals and entertainment included in the fare, cruising is proving to be a very affordable holiday option.

"This deal makes cruising even more accessible to people in regional areas of New Zealand. Presently, about 75 per cent of our business comes from people who live within four hours' drive of Auckland," Mr Currie says.

Destinations in Pacific Sky's 2005 programme include Samoa, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Tonga and Fiji. New ports of call have also been added, which include Apia in Samoa, Luganville in Vanuatu and the aptly-named Emerald Bay in New Caledonia.

Fares onboard Pacific Sky include breakfast, full buffet lunch, five course dinners and theme nights as well as access to the ships' many bars and lounges. There's a variety of live entertainment every night aboard ship and each cabin has its own steward.

The 46,000-ton Pacific Sky features three pools, a health spa, gym, ship-top jogging track, show lounge, cinema, casino, internet centre, nightclub, library, 24-hour pizzeria and a children's centre.

Details on the new, fly-cruise deals are available through travel agents or P&O Cruises on 0800 95 12 00 or visit www.pocruises.co.nz .

ENDS

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