By
Rebecca Gibson |
Sarina Bratton has a wide list of accomplishments to her name, including being a nationally ranked sportswoman in diving, gymnastics and trampoline as well as being deputy chair of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Prime Minister’s nominee on the Sydney Paralympic Organizing Committee.
When it comes to cruise shipping, her 14 years at Cunard Cruise Line saw growth in the Asia-Pacific operation to an office of 33 staff, before her departure to found Norwegian Capricorn Line in 1997.
Bratton comments: “In 1997 there was one ship operating out of Australia and 25,000 passengers were cruising out of Australia.” She questioned the then status quo by bringing in a four-star ship with higher prices and different itineraries and “doubled the market in the first 12 months”.
She adds: “I had a vision to create Australia as both a national and international destination. I take an enormous amount of pride that we now have such a mature and robust industry in this part of the world.”
It was in 2004 that Bratton founded Orion Expedition Cruises, pioneering luxury expedition cruising in the Asia-Pacific region. For seven years she was at the helm of the line, which put sustainability and the environment at the forefront of its philosophy. Last year she sold her remaining shares in the company and, after completing an agreed year of non-competition, joined Compagnie du Ponant. This year she was awarded an Order of Australia for her services to tourism, to cruise shipping in particular and to business leadership generally in the Australia Day Honours.
Bratton says: “It is interesting to be recognised for doing things you love doing. Part of it is not just what you do as your job, but outside it. For example, I was founder of the International Cruise Council Australia which is now CLIA Australia.” She is on the executive board of that organisation today.
Those who have known Bratton over her years in the industry will not be surprised that she is where she is today. As she says: “It is my passion. I believe so much in the industry. I get excited by opportunities on many fronts, whether from the guests’ experience or the economic benefits it generates in remote regions of the world – but also what we can do to help some of the wildlife that is facing extinction. For me it becomes a way of life and something I love to do…I am probably the fittest and happiest I have been in my entire working life. I really enjoy what I am doing, working at a strategic level with Ponant.”
Bratton consults for Ponant just three days a week because, she says, “I wanted to continue to have some time to myself.” Her Ponant remit is wide-ranging: being on the executive board headquartered in Marseilles, helping the company to internationalise the business and the product, and serving as chairman of Australasia. The latter involves “working with the startup team, establishing a Sydney office and working with them to build the brand and business in this part of the world”.
For the French company, which began its international focus with the arrival of newbuilding L’Austral in May 2010, the national passenger now accounts for less than 50% of the mix, according to Bratton. North American numbers are fairly high due to large charters and groups from tour operators and the Australian market is growing.
“We already have quite a large number of charters for 2016,” she says. “We have also had other charters from Japan and China. We have people in Shanghai and Hong Kong. We are one of the biggest movers of Chinese passengers to Antarctica.” According to figures from IATA, 9% of visitors to this region are Chinese, up from 0.2% ten years ago. China ranks third behind North America and then Australia.
Ponant is now one of the biggest operators in Antarctica and the Arctic. Bratton says: “In the last months that is a very large change and it continues to grow. We will always be a French vessel and style onboard but we will also have a much bigger international mix onboard.”
She has great belief in growth opportunities for the line and its four new ships: “Here you have a small company with beautiful luxury expedition ships which presents a unique opportunity. I believe this company will take the leadership role for that sector of the industry. It is my intent.”
Bratton did not take on the role lightly. “I looked at the company, saw the ships, met with the people to understand the business, the challenges and what had been in the past and what we could do in the future, to convince myself that this was something that I would really like to be involved in. Because after selling the final shares in Orion I was happy sitting on a couple of boards.”
Prior to cruise, Bratton was in the hotel industry. “In a small way it is similar but there is so much more involved in the cruise industry as it is not just static. This is about a group of hotels that can go anywhere round the world. You create new experiences for people who have not had opportunities before. There is a huge technical plant running everything, there is the lure and beauty of the sea, the destinations – and you are providing a hotel as well.”
Strategically Bratton is working with Ponant founder Jean-Emmanuel Sauvee and his team on what new destinations can be developed. “We are looking at where we can place the ships, where we can get better efficiencies from ships in certain positions – for example, fewer positioning days. We are looking at markets, Australia being key. It is a very robust and mature market with probably the biggest penetration in the world.
“I created luxury expedition in Asia Pacific, so have knowledge of the business and we should leverage that. We are looking onboard as well. What is the crew make-up? What works best?”
She adds: “It is such a pleasure to work with a company which has an owner that is supportive of the people and to be working on longer-term strategy.”
Bratton also has praise for the tour operators the company depends on: “This company is in a unique situation in that it has a very strong tour operator support which is underpinning the business. I don’t know of any other cruise operation that has that. Getting a balance of tour operator business, independent travel and charter is a challenge. It is pretty exciting.”
This article appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2014 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.