06-08-2018
Australian cruise ship welcomes a waterpark
Australian cruise ship welcomes a waterpark The cruising industry continues to grow, pushing competition among cruise lines to upgrade ships with the latest enticements. Waterslides have become a key attraction, and TNTY Waterparks’ recent partnership with P&O Group confirms its status as one of the key suppliers of this area of entertainment. TNTY Waterparks previously was involved with signature installations of waterslides and water play attractions on ships for three of the world’s largest cruise lines: Carnival, Royal Caribbean Lines and MSC. TNTY’s latest endeavor involved pairing up with project-management expert Myrtha Pools (Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy) to install two waterslides on P&O’s Pacific Dawn ship. Myrtha is recognized for its special engineering and installation skill. (Millions saw the firm’s work on display during the 2016 Rio Olympics’ events in the two 50-meter pools Myrtha designed.)
The Pacific Dawn was built in 1991 and originally christened as the Regal Princess. Over the years, the ship’s owner changed hands several times. Today, the ship is operated by P&O Cruises Australia. It was extensively refurbished in 2007, when it was renamed Pacific Dawn. The 2,020-passenger Pacific Dawn already was recognized as one of Australia’s favorite cruise ships. Now, with the addition of two Aquatube waterslides it will be more fun. The Aquatube waterslides installed on the Pacific Dawn are both long, at about 80 meters (262 feet) each. They are the inaugural waterslides to the P&O fleet and will open to the public in June.
TNTY’s Aquatubes are a perennial favorite of waterparks around the world, from indoor aquatic facilities to the globe’s largest entertainment providers. Guests thrill not only to the slide’s speed but also the overall experience it offers with the addition of TNTY’s trademarked Magic Shine, Natural Light Effects, Special Pattern Effects and translucent options. Pacific Dawn’s exterior was designed by Renzo Piano, an Italian architect and engineer known for buildings such as the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Shard in London and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.
Today, the ship’s sleek lines include the streamlined arcs and bends of TNTY’s Aquatubes, providing dramatic swoops and dizzying color to the ship’s stunning appearance. As in other parts of the world, cruising in Australia continues to grow. Last year, more than 1 million Australians went on an ocean cruise, up 14.6 percent over 2015. Most cruisers visit the South Pacific (over 36 percent of the Australian market). The second-most popular cruise is along Australia’s coast – a route the Pacific Dawn is scheduled to take. Cruises are most popular among Baby Boomers (40 percent), though a growing number of younger people (under age 40 and likely with families in tow) are joining the seniors’ ranks. Most cruises take eight to 14 days, with the average being about 10 days. Many of Pacific Dawn’s cruise average around three days for extended weekend experiences.
