The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
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OCEANS GOLF ON A MEGA-CRUISE SHIP Facilities on the giant cruise ship Voyager of the Seas include nine holes of mini-golf, an ice rink and tennis courts. The arrival of the first mega-liner to call at New Zealand will mark a step-change for the sector into the mega-liner bracket, says Cruise New Zealand chairman Craig Harris. The Royal Caribbean International's Voyager of the Seas will be based in Sydney for a five-month season from November 2012 and will make 50 calls to New Zealand. Voyager of the Seas would be the biggest vessel seen in New Zealand in terms of passenger numbers, Harris said. "We can expect more of these larger vessels in 2014/15 when the Panama Canal [locks are] widened and lengthened to allow these mega-liners to come directly into New Zealand." The 311m cruise ship, built in 1999 at a cost of US$500 million, is 48m wide, has 15 passenger decks and carries up to 3840 passengers. They can also enjoy a rock-climbing wall and a 1350-seat theatre. At present, cruise ships visiting New Zealand carry up to about 2500 passengers. The Voyager of the Seas will sail in China before her Sydney assignment. Royal Caribbean International's chief executive, Adam Goldstein, said there were opportunities in the Chinese and Australian markets, which were areas for the company's global development. A total of 138,200 passengers are expected in New Zealand during the current cruise season, which runs until October and is forecast to inject $223 million into the economy. Passenger numbers are expected to increase to 199,900 in 2011/12, injecting $346 million into the economy. "The numbers are holding the following [2012/13] year without the Rugby World Cup, and there are still bookings being received, so we're expecting an increase," Harris said. FEMALE CRUISE SHIP CAPTAIN ONE OF ONLY THREE When Captain Sarah Breton took the helm of P&O Cruises' Pacific Pearl for the first time on July 12 she did not lack for female company. Captain Breton, who is aged 46, is the first female captain of a cruise ship in the South Pacific region. In a sign of the times, three of her senior officers, hotel director Jane Herron, cruise director Zoltina-J Medwick-Daley and administration and revenue director Martina Damonte, were also women. Breton boarded the Pacific Pearl in Auckland for the 32-night South Pacific cruise with Captain Andy Willard, who officially handed over the helm while the ship was in French Polynesia. "We are delighted to have Sarah as captain of the Pacific Pearl and to see her joining such a large contingent of female officers on this cruise," said Ann Sherry, the chief executive officer of Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises Australia. "She is an outstanding officer and one of only three female captains on major cruise ships anywhere in the world." Captain Breton said many women set out on shipping careers, but the long periods at sea led to a high rate of attrition as they grew older and wanted to spend more time with family onshore. "It takes time to build up the necessary experience, so rising to this position takes many years. There 62 Professional Skipper September/October 2011 VICTORY REBUILD TO TAKE A DECADE One of Britain's icons, HMS Victory, is undergoing an extensive restoration at her berth in Portsmouth, England. Her three masts have been removed for the first time since the Second World War, along with her bowsprit and nearly 42km of rigging. The last time she was in this state was in 1944, when she was damaged during a German bombing raid on the naval dockyard. The world's oldest commissioned warship, HMS Victory was recently found to be leaking and many of her timbers were rotting. A team of master shipwrights and other specialists is expected to take about a decade to complete the restoration. She will remain open to the public. A spokesperson said the rebuild, funded by the Royal Navy, is the most extensive since she was repaired immediately following the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, which claimed the life of her commander, Admiral Lord Nelson. "She requires constant maintenance to keep her in good condition," said her commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander DJ "Oscar" Wilde. An original tree nail (trunnel) from HMS Victory, taken from near her bow during an earlier restoration in the early 1980s The Pacific Pearl's cruise director Zoltina-J Medwick-Daley, administration and revenue director Martina Damonte, hotel director Jane Herron and Captain Sarah Breton are no shortcuts," she said. Captain Breton began as a cadet on a freighter before switching to cruise ships in numerous roles, including navigator and first officer. "It really does fulfil a life-long ambition of mine to be a captain with P&O Cruises," she said. Captain Breton lives on the Essex coast of England and when on leave spends her time with family, in her garden and sailing. www.seapixonline.com www.seapixonline.com