SHORT-TERM discounting will never happen at Pearl Expeditions, even though value-added inclusions such as pre-expedition land arrangements may be offered in the business’ formative months, according to Executive Chair Sarina Bratton.
The expedition line must maintain its pricing integrity, even in its early days, she said. Bookings for Pearl’s maiden Papua New Guinea season in Oct are still quite low, which Bratton admitted is not helped by the brand having only launched to the market last week.
On board Paspaley Pearl this week, Bratton told travelBulletin that she is in discussions with a company in Papua New Guinea about offering some pre-trip experiences together, perhaps as an incentive.
“I’m happy for us to do some value-added inclusions, but not discount the rate,” she said. “If you ever think about boutique or luxury products – take Paspaley Pearls for example – you never see Paspaley discounting their pearls,” Bratton added.
Another area the company is adding value is in the Kimberley. Whereas many expedition operators in the region use Darwin as a turnaround, Paspaley Pearl guests will embark or disembark in the remote Western Australian town of Wyndham.
While Wyndham does have an airport, it is used for charter flights only, with Kununurra the more accessible option, located around 100km away.
For this reason, Pearl includes a one night stay in Kununurra and a six-hour excursion to the Ord River either side of a Kimberley expedition for guests joining or leaving the ship here.
Guests can also organise through Pearl a four-night land extension in Kununurra, which includes a luxury lodge stay and helicopter touring in the region to the Bungle Bungle ranges and the El Questo lodge.
The line will also focus on gourmet yet comfortable dining, which according to Head Chef Alex Macmillan, will form a key part of the Pearl Expeditions luxury experience. But unlike the perception of luxury being about pretentious fine dining, Pearl will focus on using the freshest available produce to serve contemporary dishes to guests returning from shore adventures.
Breakfast will feature the usual assortment of cereals, pastries, fresh fruit and hot items such as omelettes made to order, Macmillan told travelBulletin, while lunch may range from refreshing salads to grilled Spanish mackerel or even simple comfort foods like a ham and Gruyère toasted sandwich on thick sourdough.
Dinner will be where Pearl’s luxury element will shine, with two options available across three courses, such as rib eye fillet, tender lamb, risotto, lobster, pasta or even Paspaley Pearl meat, plus desserts featuring cheeses, cakes or ice cream topped with pistachios.
“Sometimes, people want a break from having all luxury all the time and if you’re here for 10 days, maybe you just want a nice pasta or a chocolate brownie, you know, something simple,” the chef said.
“You may feel like the luxury option or if you feel like something simple, it’s there also, and doing the simple things well can be just as hard as doing the luxury things.”
Macmillan has also been sourcing and building relationships with suppliers everywhere the ship will conduct turnarounds such as Bali and Dili. Networks are already established in Australian ports like Wyndham and Broome, and Pearl’s head chef is confident of what he will be able to buy on local soil.
“I’ll be working hard to make sure I’m getting the top produce at all times – I’m very meticulous with checking and if it’s not up to scratch, the supplier will be hearing from me the same day.”
