Cruise News - Carnival Spirit Arrives Sydney Australia ETB 2012.

Presenter: Natalie Aroyan -- e-Travel Blackboard Produced by: Noel Sadler Skip Film Productions & Bob Fitzgerald VideoSpark for Cruise News TV Carnival Cruise Lines advertised that the Carnival Spirit, its first ship to be based full time in Australian waters, would undergo an "Aussification" - and it seems the locals liked what they heard. When the vessel enters Sydney Heads today, winding up a 16-night voyage from Hawaii, its contingent of Australian passengers will be visible. Many will be on the vessel's top decks, drinks raised, leading a welcome-to- Australia party. "The Aussies are ready," says the senior vice-president of guest operations for Carnival, Mark Tamis. "They're going to bring the ship in for us." Carnival, the world's biggest cruise company, has spent $US7 million ($6.9 million) stripping the vessel of American apparel to fit with the needs of Australian passengers, including installing Australian power points and switching the on-board currency to our dollar. The changes extend to the drinks menu. VB, New and Carlton Draught is on tap, bottles of Pure Blonde and Crownies are in fridges. The "sav blanc" is from Marlborough, the "cab sav" from McLaren Vale. Fat Jimmy's, a barbecue on the ship's highest deck, is tipped to be the hot spot on board this summer. Here, passengers can order slow-cooked pulled pork, smoky chicken breast or Black Angus beef sausages, with salads, jacket potatoes and onion rings. A few steps up - literally and gastronomically - is the Spirit's Nouveau Steakhouse, the only restaurant on board that attracts a surcharge ($35 for four courses). The steakhouse is worth every cent: prime cuts are wheeled to your table prior to cooking, seafood options include lobster tail and ahi tuna tartare, and service is excellent. Another change is the launch of theme nights. Beyond the usual fancy dress parties that are held on cruises, Spirit staff start the fun at dinner. Meals and drinks match the theme, and waiters break into choreographed dance moves. Then the party moves to the pool deck, with live music, themed cocktails, games and giveaways. Interestingly, when Carnival asked its Australian Facebook fans to vote on favourite themes, locals expressed the same preferences as American passengers: Mexican fiesta and Caribbean beach party. Pack your sombrero and practise your reggae moves; these party styles are set to be held on every cruise. Spirit's most advertised attraction, Green Thunder, is billed as the world's steepest waterslide at sea. It lives up to the hype. The almost vertical drop induces shock and awe in equal measure. While cruising, I took note of a few on-board costs to see if prices would increase with "Aussification". However, most items appear to be roughly the same in price. A shampoo, cut and dry starts at $65 (compared with $US59). A Swedish massage is $131 - not inexpensive, but not bad for a day spa on the ocean. Childcare fees (night only; daytime is free) are about $6 an hour, a bargain for parents who want a hassle-free evening. Cruise News cruisenewstv@bigpond.com www.skipfilms.com.au e-Travel Blackboard www.etbnews.com