Back in the 1950s and 60s, thousands of ten-pound poms emigrated to Australia on P&O Cruises' Arcadia.
Last week the fourth ship to bear that name - P&O Cruises' 21st-century Arcadia - arrived in Sydney for a maiden visit Down Under (the ship is also on its maiden world cruise) and hosted a reunion lunch for a group of those £10-ers. Which is a good excuse to show this picture, by James Morgan, of the ship sailing past the Opera House.
Arcadia is just one of 28 cruise ships which will have called at Sydney in as many days this season. Travel Asia Daily says the passenger terminal at Darling Harbour has been so busy the cargo terminal at White Bay has been drummed into use for cruise ships.
Sydney's Tourism and Transport Forum executive director, Olivia Wirth, says four in one day are expected in early March, but three are too big to sail under the Harbour Bridge and two will have to tender passengers ashore.
Wirth says Sydney needs to improve its facilities if it is to continue reaping the full economic benefits of the cruise industry.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that change is on the way, but it doesn't sound like "improve" is quite the right word. SMH says the New South Wales government decided last December to move the main cruise ship terminal from East Darling Harbour to White Bay.
Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry is not happy.
"There is so much to see and do around Darling Harbour. In comparison, White Bay is bleak with no buzz or energy.... The NSW government has an opportunity to create a world-class cruise facility but, based on the plans we've been shown, it is a shed at White Bay with nothing else around it."
Nice one, Sydney.
Jane Archer
