Expedition line Swan Hellenic has opened its first Southern Hemisphere office, in Sydney's Rose Bay, timed to the Cruise360 conference and aimed at its growing Australasian market. The line has scheduled a 32-night voyage aboard Minerva departing Ushuaia in February 2027 that calls at Dunedin and Auckland alongside South Pacific and Asian ports. Chief commercial officer Mario Bounas said the market's growth had prompted the move, while ruling out immediate cruises in Australian domestic waters.
Swan Hellenic has established a permanent base in Rose Bay, Sydney, its first office in the Southern Hemisphere, with chief commercial officer Mario Bounas opening it during CLIA Australasia's Cruise360 event. The company said the step reflected sustained demand from the region. Among the itineraries pitched to Australasian travellers is a 32-night Minerva voyage from Ushuaia in February 2027 that includes New Zealand calls at Dunedin and Auckland, plus stops across New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Manila and Hiroshima. Bounas indicated there were no immediate plans for cruises within Australian waters. See the original report by Seatrade Cruise News (linked as the source) for full details.