Ally

Princess Cruises will meet the growing demand for premium cruising from Australia by deploying superliner Sun Princess from Sydney for the summer of 2007-08.

Built at a cost of A$400 million in 1995, the 77,000-ton ship will be tailored for Australians during a summer season of round-trip cruises from Sydney, including two circumnavigations of Australia and four of New Zealand.

Sailing the South Pacific between November 2007 and April 2008, Sun Princess will replace the popular 30,200-ton Pacific Princess, which has successfully pioneered premium cruising for Australians since 2002.

Announcing the deployment of Sun Princess, Princess Cruises Australia Managing Director Gavin Smith said the 1950-passenger Sun Princess would offer almost three times as many beds as the 670-passenger boutique liner, Pacific Princess.

"The amazing popularity of the award-winning Pacific Princess as Australia's upmarket ocean liner demonstrated there is a growing market for affordable premium cruise holidays from Australia, so we've matched that with a much bigger ship," Mr Smith said.

Sun Princess will be tailored for the needs and tastes of Australian passengers with Australian entertainment and onboard currency in Australian dollars. However she will retain signature Princess characteristics including 410 cabins with private balconies. She will also introduce 'Anytime Dining', where passengers can eat with whom they want and when they want at a choice of dining venues.

Designed to give a small-ship feel but with big-ship facilities, Sun Princess will offer Australians a teak wrap-around promenade deck with grand liner-style steamer deck chairs, a glass-walled health spa and gym overlooking the ocean, panoramic glass-walled elevators, a grand four-storey atrium, eight restaurants and cafes, four pools, five whirlpool spas, seven deluxe lounges and bars, two children's clubs, nightclub, golf simulator and a sports court.

"Sun Princess will offer the same level of luxury and intimacy as Pacific Princess but with a more expansive range of features that only larger ships can provide, including multiple choices in entertainment and dining, more pools, large kids' clubs and an abundance of much sought-after balcony cabins," Mr Smith said.

"This is very exciting news for Australian cruising. When she debuts here next year, Sun Princess will pamper Australians keen to sail the South Seas in style at an affordable cost."

Sun Princess will offer 10 cruises from Sydney in the summer of 2007-08 including two round-Australia cruises, four voyages to New Zealand, three to the South Pacific islands and one to Tasmania and Victoria.

Bookings for Sun Princess will open in late May and can be made via travel agents or by contacting Princess Cruises on 13 24 69.

The 2006-07 summer program for Pacific Princess will be her farewell program, in what will be her fifth season cruising from Australia. In addition to Sun Princess' deployment in 2007-08, Princes Cruises' 116,000-ton megaliner Sapphire Princess will operate in Australian waters catering mostly to American passengers with an onboard currency in US dollars.