CMV to launch SA cruises

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is to operate biannual voyages between the UK, Australia and South Africa on the 600-passenger Astor.

It also unveiled plans to open a dedicated sales office in Sydney.

The Astor will join the CMV fleet in November and will operate alongside the company’s 800-passenger flagship Marco Polo and 700-passenger Discovery.  
Astor's inaugural 10,000 capacity programme will increase CMV's overall 2014 global capacity to almost 62,000 passengers.

Astor is currently operating European summer cruises for the German market. The ship is managed and marketed by the Munich-based Premicon Group.

It was originally launched on the British market in 1987 as a five-star luxury 'soft adventure' product and, since her inception, has undergone a number of refits, including a £14 million upgrade in 2010.

 “We are delighted that Astor will be part of our international development plans,” said Chris Coates, CMV Commercial Director.

“Despite the continued growth of mega resort-style mass-market vessels, the success and growing interest in the CMV product demonstrates that this niche sector has a significant role to play not only in the UK but also in the wider international English-speaking markets and global arena.”

He added that the new initiative also offered the travel industry an exciting new niche premium cruise product that lent itself to packaging opportunities.

A dedicated new CMV Astor Voyages brochure will be released later this month.
“Britain’s historic and cultural ties with both Australia and South Africa and the feedback received and research undertaken has inspired us to introduce interesting voyages between the UK via the Cape to the Antipodes, recreating the bygone halcyon days of long-distance sea travel as a serious alternative to the aviation option,” concluded Coates.

For more information, visit www.cruiseandmaritime.com.