Australia’s cruise industry is expanding – but it is missing out on bigger and better ships because the nation’s ports are full, a new report claims.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says the industry’s economic worth has increased one billion dollars in a year, up 27 per cent to $4.6 billion.
Some 18,000 jobs – an increase of 23 per cent – are linked to the success of cruising.
But CLIA Australasia’s chairman Steve Odell, who also heads up Norwegian Cruise Lines, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas, said international tourist numbers have dropped because of capacity restraints – mainly centred on Sydney.
Cruise lines are building bigger ships to meet demand – but they won’t go under Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.
Because the Navy occupies Garden Island, and the Overseas Passenger Terminal can only take one large ship, the most prestigious port in Australia is basically full.
And while Sydney is trialling double berthing – turning around two big ships a single day – lines like Norwegian can’t meet demand.
Indeed, Norwegian – which plans to bring one of its fleet to Sydney next year – almost didn’t put Australia on its itinerary. Mr Odell maintained the line could put up to four ships in the region, if only there was somewhere to berth them.
So what is Australia loosing? The rapid rise of Asia means ships are looking for places to visit during the region’s winter – but Australia is at capacity at this time.
International passenger spend up to $708 a day in pre-cruise and post-cruise visits, while Australians spending $485.
An international cruise ships of 2,000 passengers could bring $1.4 million a day in passenger spending. In a year, that would be half a billion dollars.
Royal Caribbean managing director Adam Armstrong, with the biggest fleet in Australia, spelled out the effects of the capacity problems.
The fleet was now at capacity in Sydney. The world’s fourth largest ship, Ovation of the Seas, due in Sydney on December 15, would not be going to Melbourne because it can’t dock.
The brand’s ships are sailing at full capacity. And even though they could take more passengers, there is now no-where left to place the ships.
Mr Odell told a conference this week: “Sydney is our cruise gateway and unless we can accommodate the cruise ships here, we will lose the opportunity for more international ships as well as the prospect of more homeported ships.”
Board member and head of Ponant in Australia Sarina Bratton said CLIA has been in talks with both the state and federal government about moving the Navy from Garden Island.
“Ten years ago, the government wouldn’t even hear of it. But because the cruise industry is making such a great impact on tourism and injecting money into the economy, they are much more welcome to talks,” said Mrs Bratton.
“There is still a long way to go but hopefully we will be able to make some progress to improve the infrastructure so we can see more ships.”
Garden island is the Home of the Navy!! And has been for over 100 years!! If you move them, it’s not just the docking space that will need to be moved, you have HMAS Kuttabul(the adjoining Navy base), and all the accommodation and support structures that are in the area… You are looking at almost half of Potts Point!! Not a simple solution!!
The Australian Navy has been at Garden Island for almost a century. There are many ports in Sydney. Have some respect. The Defence of Australia has some priority over your profits.
“Turf the Navy” Honestly how much disrespect can one have for their military. Absolutely disgusting and you should be ashamed. Money hungry people I hope you never need the Navy’s protection after such greed.
Correct me if I am wrong but I think that Royal Caribbean’s Soverign class of ships of which they still own at least one could fit under the harbour bridge and berth at White bay.
Melbourne has a cruise port too
We need Brisbane to be updated and also a cruise ship terminal on the Gold Coast and then we might get some of the bigger ships up in QLD and better destinations I cruise a lot so wake up guys and get things going
I can’t say that Perth is over busy with cruise ships!! They are very far and few. Maybe the cruise lines don’t know that we exist over this side of the country.
BRISBANE AND THE GOLD COAST HAVE BEEN “TALKING” BUT NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR YEARS REGARDING WHERE TO PUT A NEW CRUISE TERMINAL. IT IS SO HARD TO HEAR THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS FROM OVERSEAS TOURISTS WHEN THEY SEE THE DISGUSTING AREA THE LARGER SHIPS HAVE TO BERTH IN BRISBANE. IN CASE PEOPLE FROM OTHER STATES DO NOT UNDERSTAND, A LOVELY TERMINAL WAS BUILT IN BRISBANE A FEW YEARS AGO, HOWEVER BEING NICE AND CLOSE TO THE CBD, LARGE SHIPS CANNOT GET UNDER THE GATEWAY BRIDGE TO ACCESS THE TERMINAL.
AND YET WE HAVE A PERFECT SPOT HERE TO WELCOME ANYONE AND EVERYONE, BUT NOT AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE. I FOR ONE AM SICK OF THE TALK TALK TALK, AND I AM SURE THE CRUISE COMPANIES ARE EVEN MORE SO!
Hi, Lets get more ship’s to Wollongong, we showed the cruising world that we can do it last week when Royal Caribbean docked in to port Kembla, Wollongong can be the 2nd home for all cruise ships.
Thanks,
Andy Edgar
Hi we cruise constantly however now fly to Asia to board ships not able to come to Australia. Hey guys get moving on port facilities. And rake in the tourist dollars. What’s up with us Aussies is we sit on our hands whilst the Asians are laughing all the way to the bank. Wake. Act now. Right now. Turf out the navy make way for the tourist dollars Sydney is the greatest harbour in the world. Let’s show why. Problem is is not going to happen until it’s too late oh well we can live in hope