Media Releases
CRUISE THE WHITSUNDAYS AND STAY FREE AT HAMILTON ISLAND
21st July 2008
Fantasea Adventure Cruising has added two nights on Hamilton Island at no extra charge to its four night MV Fantasea Ammari cruise of the
Whitsunday islands to create a seven day cruise-and-stay package.
The elegant 60 metre cruising catamaran departs Hamilton Island on varying itineraries which include visits to Whitehaven Beach, Blue Pearl Bay
off Hayman Island, Whitsunday Island and Fantasea’s Reefworld ‘floating pontoon’ on the outer Great Barrier Reef.
All cabins on the boutique cruise ship, which accommodates 64 passengers and 23 crew, are air conditioned with ensuite bathroom, flat screen
TV and bar fridge.
Other Ammari features include a swimming pool, day spa and hair and beauty salon, gymnasium equipment, boutique, Sun Deck Bar and a DVD and
book library. Tariffs include all on-board meals and watersport activities.
Accommodation on Hamilton Island post-cruise is at the recently refurbished four star Reefview Hotel. Cost is $2460 per person. The package
is valid for bookings made by October 31, 2008 and is valid for travel until December 12, 2008.
For more information go to www.fantaseaammari.com or book on 1800 662 786.
ESCAPE FOR A FANTASTIC FANTASEA WEEKEND
11th April 2008
Fantasea Adventure Cruising has launched an exciting offer for travellers who want to visit the Whitsundays for a long-weekend. For all bookings
made before 30 June for travel through to 12 December 2008 on the MV Fantasea Ammari four night cruise, passengers also receive free flights from
Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne airports to Hamilton Island, free chauffeur transfers to and from home to the airport and $100 gift voucher per cabin
for use in the Ammari day spa. Cruise prices start from AUD$2460 per person (twin-share).
The MV Fantasea Ammari is the flagship of Fantasea Adventure Cruising, providing a unique and intimate cruising adventure through the Whitsunday
Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. With a maximum of only 64 passengers and a crew of 23, the vessel offers the space to get away in privacy,
yet intimate enough to spoil with outstanding personal service.
With an itinerary including world-famous Whitehaven Beach, Blue Pearl Bay and the Great Barrier Reef, passengers can spend a perfect stress-free,
relaxing weekend experiencing one of the most beautiful parts of Australia. Imagine a weekend where you walk the pure white sands of Whitehaven
Beach, float in the crystal clear waters of Blue Pearl Bay, dive with fish at Fantasea’s Reefworld on the Great Barrier Reef, watch tropical
sunsets every evening and indulge in delicious chef-prepared meals under a star-studded sky.
Terms and conditions include:
• valid for bookings made during April, May and June for travel prior to 12 December 2008
• Travel is based on per person economy return flights to Hamilton Island and the carrier for flights is at the discretion of Fantasea (max flight value $300/person return)
• Transport to and from airport to the maximum value of $300/cabin and transport to be arranged by the Company
• Cancellation & Refunds: Bookings must be made and deposit received within 7 days with balance of payment due 60 days prior to cruise departure date.
For more information and full terms and conditions of this offer please call Fantasea Toll Free 1800 662 786 or 07 4946 7084
or email info@fantaseaammari.com.
EXCITING NEW FANTASEA MARKETING TEAM
27 February 2008
Fantasea Adventure Cruising, based in the Whitsundays, has established a new team of Sales and Marketing professionals in
their Brisbane office.
With the launch of MV Fantasea Ammari in January 2007, Fantasea Adventure Cruising has moved from only offering day cruises
around the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef to providing three and four night pleasure cruising on this 60-metre luxury
catamaran. To ensure that all possible markets are serviced for this product, a new team of marketing professionals has been created.
Murray Hudson has been appointed as Marketing Co-ordinator for MV Fantasea Ammari. With ten years of direct marketing experience
Murray will not only be involved in increasing sales activities but also in maximising the guest experience from the initial inquiry
through to after the cruise. In his words Murray wants “to build passenger expectation prior to the cruise and ensure every passenger
has positive memories long after the experience”.
Karen Maher has been appointed to the new position of Sales and Marketing for domestic wholesale, retail and inbound tour operators for
the entire Fantasea brand. Karen has twenty years experience in the tourism industry including car hire, hotels and attractions on
the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Karen will be out and about at trade and consumer shows and implementing incentive plans to increase sales.
Fantasea Adventure Cruising is particularly excited to have World Resorts of Distinction (WRD) assisting our marketing team in promoting
the MV Fantasea Ammari in Australia, NZ and USA. This professional team of operators, headed by Fiona Wozney, has been setting a benchmark
in resort and hotel marketing since 1989 and have recognised that the Ammari is a very special and desirable new offering in the Australian
tourism market.
Rachel Carpenter has been with Fantasea Adventure Cruising for over twelve months working on product development and sales for MV Fantasea
Ammari. With sixteen years operational experience in the hospitality industry Rachel has been closely involved in developing the product
offering of the Ammari and provides strong support for this new team.
Overall Sales and Marketing Manager for Fantasea Adventure Cruising, including MV Fantasea Ammari, is Steve Neale, based in Airlie Beach.
If you would like to get in touch with our Sales and Marketing representatives please contact our Brisbane office on 07 3852 9099,
our Airlie Beach office on 07 4946 5496 or email industrysales@fantasea.com.au.
NEW DEPARTURE AND RATES FOR MV FANTASEA AMMARI
21 January 2008
From Friday 21 March, the MV Fantasea Ammari will be offering a new four night cruise around the Whitsundays.
Take a mini-break and spend four unforgettable nights cruising on the calm waters of the Whitsundays, snorkelling
by day and dining under the stars by night. The perfect weather arrives in March with crystal clear days, warm
waters and average daytime temperatures of 28C. Departing Hamilton Island every Friday, the 32-cabin boutique
cruise ship visits famous Whitehaven Beach, the Great Barrier Reef and many other beautiful sandy coves and pristine
swimming beaches around the 74 islands. Optional three night cruise including meals and many activities is $1995
twin share per person while the new four night cruise is $2460 per person twin share. Fly to Hamilton Island or
Whitsunday Coast airports on Virgin or Jetstar, drive or QRail to Proserpine. For bookings visit www.fantaseaammari.com
or call 1800 662 786.
Fantasea supports climate project
12th October 2007
Fantasea Marine Research Co-ordinator, Emily Smart, was recently selected to
attend The Climate Project in Melbourne, where Al Gore trained around 170 people
to become climate messengers. The attendees were selected from many applicants
Australia-wide, and were provided with this training at no cost, however they
have agreed to conduct at least 10 presentations over the next 12 months. The
presentation is the one which Al Gore presents world-wide and parts of this can
be seen on the movie An Inconvenient Truth.
Former US Vice-President Al Gore initiated The Climate Project in his home town
of Nashville, Tennessee where he trained 1000 people to deliver the slide show
known to many as the basis of his Oscar-winning movie An Inconvenient Truth.
This year he will also conduct training in the UK, Spain, India, China and
Canada.
Mr Gore has explained his motivation for setting up The Climate Project was "to
deliver the message to as many people as possible". After looking at many
models, Mr Gore said he returned to a "grassroots, or peer-to-peer model" aimed
at spreading the message contained in his powerful and well-researched climate
presentation.
"The Climate Project program trains volunteers to take the science and the
solutions of climate change out into the community and is building momentum
around the globe," says Al Gore. "There are now 1,000 trained presenters working
across the USA, hundreds in the UK."
Fantasea Adventure Cruising has also established the Fantasea Foundation which
is involved in one of the largest coral reef monitoring programs in the world,
"Eye on the Reef". Fantasea is actively committed to assisting the conservation
and protection of the Marine Park. Emily was the only participant at The Climate
Project from the Whitsundays. She will be available to local schools and
interest groups to present The Climate Project presentation.
For more information on the project go to www.acfonline.org.au or to make a presentation request,
email info@fantasea.com.au.
Fantasea CEO's plea to tourism ministers in bid to save whales
29 June 2007
Fantasea Cruising CEO Hume Campbell has called on Federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey and State Tourism Minister Margaret Keech to step up pressure on the Japanese to abandon plans to hunt 1000 whales in the Southern Ocean including 50 threatened humpbacks.
In a recent letter to both Ministers, Mr Campbell expressed his disgust at the prospect of whales - especially the humpbacks which visit the Whitsundays annually to give birth to their calves - being slaughtered in the name of scientific research.
Mr Campbell is also Trustee of the Fantasea Foundation which receives $100,000 a year from the Campbell family to further research into marine conservation.
Speaking today, Mr Campbell said: "I feel very strongly about this latest threat to the whales, particularly the humpbacks. Whales are still recovering from commercial whaling that officially ended 25 years ago, and yet they are still not safe.
"The humpbacks visit the Whisundays annually as part of their winter migration north. Anyone who has witnessed these magnificent creatures on one of Fantasea's Whale Watching Cruises will tell you that it is a life-changing experience.
"I'm told that whale-hunting is worth millions of dollars to the Japanese but whale-watching is worth over a billion dollars to the world's tourism industry.
"Accordingly I've called on the Federal and State tourism ministers to take the strongest possible action to get their governments to pressure the Japanese at the highest level."
Mr Campbell was speaking as Fantasea prepares to launch its 2007 whale-watching program. Humpback whales have already been sighted in the Whitsundays on Fantasea's inter-island ferries.
Fantasea Whale Watching Cruises will depart from Shute Harbour at 9.30am with convenient connections from Whitsunday resort islands on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (weather permitting). The cruises will cost $99 for adults, $89 for seniors and students and $49 for children (5 - 15). Cruises include a full buffet lunch, complimentary tea and coffee and interpretive commentary.
Australian owned and based in the Whitsundays, Fantasea Cruising is the largest day cruise operator in the region. Fantasea Cruising is an advanced eco-certified operator offering a genuine eco-tourism experience. Each year, the Campbell family allocates over $100,000 through its Fantasea Foundation to aid vital research into the health of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in which it operates.
Fantasea Cruising is a part of the leading Australian marine transport group, Riverside Marine. Founded in 1926, Riverside Marine is a Brisbane-based company owned by the Campbell family.
Japanese tourist thanks Fantasea rescuers
25th June 2007
A Japanese tourist who became ill while snorkelling on Hardy Reef earlier this year has thanked her rescuers with a $2,000 cheque.
Fantasea Cruising operations manager Kate Thornton said visitor Masako Doi panicked after she accidentally sucked some water down her snorkel and became distressed. She was attended by lifesavers at the Reefworld adventure platform on February 2. As a precaution she was flown to Mackay Base Hospital by RACQ CQ Rescue and was accompanied by Fantasea's Japanese interpreter.
Ms Thornton said Mrs Doi had made a full recovery and had since returned home to Japan.
"There were no interpreters at the hospital and Mr and Mrs Doi could not speak any English," Ms Thornton said. "We wanted to make sure she had everything she needed and understood explanations about her treatment. We also liaised with Mrs Doi's travel insurance company before driving her and her husband to Shute Harbour and putting them on the ferry to Hamilton Island, where they continued their holiday."
The strength of Ms Doi's gratitude became clear when she sent Fantasea Cruising staff a cheque for $2,000 earlier this month.
Ms Thornton said those involved in Mrs Doi's rescue would donate some of the money to RACQ CQ Rescue and the Mackay Base Hospital's intensive care unit.
Riverside Marine's multi-million dollar investment in tourism
10 June 2007
Australian marine transport group Riverside Marine undertook a multi-million-dollar expansion into the Northern Queensland tourism industry last year.
The Brisbane-based, family-owned company:
- Acquired the multi-award-winning Whitsunday operation Fantasea Cruises, which is now trading as Fantasea Adventure Cruising;
- Acquired the 60-metre MV Ammarì, now known as MV Fantasea Ammarì, which offers three-night cruises to the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday islands;
- Invested in the construction of Fantasea Cruisin', a 12.5-metre high-speed aluminium rigid inflatable which serves as a 32-seat tender to Fantasea Ammarì;
- Extended the Fantasea brand to its Magnetic Island passenger and car ferry service, re-naming it Fantasea Cruising Magnetic;
- Embarked on a $1 million upgrade of Fantasea One (which carries passengers to Reefworld, Fantasea's floating adventure platform) and re-branded it Fantasea Wonder.
Riverside Marine's Townsville ferry operations include the Palm Island Barge Service. The company also has the management contract for the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Townsville-based research vessels.
In Brisbane, Riverside Marine refuels ships and moves more than 700,000 tonnes of high-grade silica sand for the glass, foundry and construction industry.
In Western Australia Riverside Marine has a joint venture with Danish marine operator, Svitzer Wijsmuller, supplying towage services to ships in the ports of Bunbury and Dampier.
Riverside Marine and Fantasea Adventure Cruising provide employment for almost 400 shore-based and marine personnel. As well as operating ferry and barge services, the company's business operations include tugs and towage, oil bunkering, industrial sands and consultancy and management services.
"Whether in the general marine transport industry or in our tourism activities, the ethos of our companies is based on quality, presentation and delivery of memorable service," said Mr Hume Campbell, CEO of both Riverside Marine and Fantasea Adventure Cruising.
Tourism Minister launches new Fantasea cruise ship
17 March 2007
Hon Margaret Keech MP and CEO of Fantasea Cruising Mr Hume Campbell at the official launch of the MV Fantasea Ammarì on Saturday 18 March 2007
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Fantasea Cruising's new luxury cruise ship, Fantasea Ammarì, was officially launched by Tourism Minister Margaret Keech on Queensland's Whitsunday Islands today.
Mrs Keech said Fantasea Cruising's newest ship was a perfect example of the vibrancy of Queensland's ever-growing cruise industry.
"In the past five years, the cruise shipping industry has surged by more than 600 per cent, producing enormous economic gains for Queensland," Mrs Keech said.
"The introduction of a new leisure cruise ship opens the Great Barrier Reef and stunning Whitsunday islands up to more visitors, creating opportunities for these destinations to grow even further."
Fantasea Ammarì offers over 60 passengers a unique World Heritage Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands experience, to renowned destinations such as Whitehaven Beach, Hardy Reef's Reefworld adventure platform and other dream locations.
The three night cruises depart Hamilton Island every Sunday and Wednesday, starting at $1482 per person inclusive of accommodation and meals. The 32 double, twin and single luxury cabins are fully carpeted with en-suite facilities, wardrobe, safety box, TV and fridge.
The cruise ship's first class facilities include; three cabin decks, restaurant, sun-deck lounges, bars, fitness area, hair-dressing salon, beauty spa and swimming pool.
Fantasea Cruising CEO Hume Campbell said the new cruise ship offers visitors all the comforts they can expect from a first class, boutique soft adventure cruise ship.
"We are extremely excited to offer both Australian and international visitors the opportunity to experience the magic of the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef and visit some of the spectacular Whitsunday Islands such as Hamilton and Daydream Islands, from our boutique adventure cruise ship, Fantasea Ammarì," Mr Campbell said.
"This is the ultimate way to indulge in the unique beauty of the Reef and embark on a truly unforgettable eco-experience."
Australian owned and based in the Whitsundays, Fantasea Cruising is the largest day cruise operator in the region. Fantasea Cruising is an eco-certified operator offering a genuine eco-tourism experience. Each year, Fantasea Cruising allocates over $100,000 for monitoring and management of its own activities on the reef, manages research vessels and monitors the marine park for the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).
Fantasea Cruising is a part of the leading Australian marine transport group, Riverside Marine. Founded in 1926, Riverside Marine is a Brisbane based company owned by the Campbell family.
To make a booking or request further information call 1800 662 786 or visit www.fantaseaammari.com.
New cruise ship launched
19 March 2007
The newest addition to the Whitsunday cruising fleet, Fantasea Ammarì, was launched by Tourism Minister Margaret Keech at the weekend.
Fantasea Adventure Cruising's newest luxury vessel was a perfect example of the vibrancy of Queensland's growing cruise industry, Mrs. Keech said.
"In the past five years the cruise shipping industry has surged by more than 600%, producing enormous economic gains for Queensland," she said.
The Ammarì will cruise through the Whitsundays visiting destinations including Hamilton and Daydream islands, Whitehaven Beach and Hardy Reef's Reefworld adventure platform.
Its first class facilities include a restaurant, bars, gymnasium, a hair dressing salon, a beauty spa and a swimming pool. It is capable of carrying more than 60 passengers.
