Roughly 98 per cent of British visitors to Australia travelled by air last year. I have lost count how many calls I have received over the years asking about this service. Investors hope to reignite demand for the alternative means of travel between the two continents. There are some 1.5 million single flights between Britain and Australia each year – and to offer an alternative for those travellers on both continents for whom the minimum 21-hour flight acts as a deterrent to making the journey at all. One-way fares are expected to start from around £2,000.  Travelling via two or three primary routes – east via South Africa or the Suez Canal or west via The Panama Canal, depending on the time of year, the journey to Australia’s west coast is expected to take 25 days, plus an additional three to Sydney.

P&O Orient Lines in the past led a fleet of ships between Britain and Australia that offered a “ten-pound pom” assisted passage scheme which encouraged British migrants to settle in Australia throughout the 1960’s until 1974. The two companies’ flagships Canberra and Oriana were the largest and fastest ships built for this route; at full throttle they could reach Australia in three weeks.  Operating a monthly service on the first week of each month and stopping only to pick up and drop off passengers. It’s going to be a journey, not a cruise. It will offer an alternative for those who want to visit Australia but who for whatever reason can’t or prefer not to fly there.

I think this could be a massive hit – time and time again over my many years as a travel agent I have heard so many people putting off the idea of going to Australia purely because of the flight – this could open up a whole new world for many. Many of the on-board trappings will be familiar to regular cruisers, a gym , spa and extensive library and e-library, accessible via the ship’s Wi-Fi there will be multiple restaurants and extensive shopping.

Don’t book your time off just yet, but hopefully we should be looking at 2016 to set sail!