In common with keen tourists from around the world, Australians are taking to cruising like ducks to water.
The cruise industry is the fastest-growing segment of travel and tourism — and Queensland, my home state, is jumping on the bandwagon big time.
Along with Carnival — which operates ships under its own name along with those branded Costa, P&O, Cunard, Seabourn, Holland America, Aida and Princess — the state government is investing $158 milion in a new port for megaships in Brisbane.
Currently, smaller vessels stop in the inner-city suburb of Hamilton, but the huge cruise ships must dock at a grain-loading facility in the mouth of the Brisbane River.
According to this Brisbane Times report, Queensland now attracts more ships than any other Australian state, with 520 visits involving 860,000 passengers in 2017-18. The industry is worth about $1.1 billion to the Queensland economy each year.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said: “Last summer, Brisbane hosted 200 ship visits — 536,000 passengers and crew spent more than $386 million.”
This new port could well kick these numbers a lot higher. A cruise holiday may seem a lot more accessible to a lot of Brisbaneites, because leaving from, and returning to, your home city (or nearby — the terminal will be located about 23 kilometres from the CBD) is a big plus when it comes to planning a holiday.
The cruise port’s relatively close proximity to the Brisbane Airport is also a bonus, maming it convenient for intrastate, interstate and overseas travellers.
Of course, as more ships depart, arrive or stop over in the city, more tourists dollars will be spent with other travel and hospitality operators.
Brisbane is already a kicking-off point for cruises to the Pacific island (Noumea, Fiji, Vanuatu and so on), and for Queensland attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef ports of Cairns and Townsville, which will also see upgrades.
The new terminal, which will be open to all cruise lines not just those affiliated with Carnival, should attract many more ships from all segments of the market. You can cruise on the cheap or do it in very fine style.
With P&O already offering a variety of affordable short trips up and down the Australian coast, and the likes of Cunard including Brisbane on its round-world itineraries, it’s good news for travellers who want to experience the delights that cruises can offer.
Chief among those are the fact that your only have to unpack once, you generally visit a variety of destinations on the one itinerary, and the ships themselves offer great bars and restaurants, fun activities and entertainment programs that will have you hooked.
