After years of absence, Royal Caribbean is back in Brisbane with the cruise line and cruise community both thrilled at the return.
Quantum of the Seas will be homeporting out of the new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, offering cruisers escapes along the Australian coast, across to New Zealand and out to the South Pacific. These sailings will run until April 2023.
The season is measuring up as a huge one, with over 63 ports of calls to be made, each set to inject $1 million into the local economy, coming out to a total of $63 million. Adding onto this, the line will also be spending $17.7 million on Australia food and beverage supplies, including fresh fruits out of Queensland.
Quantum of the Seas’s touchdown back in Brisbane was a big one, with Gavin Smith, vice president and managing director at Royal Caribbean International Australia and New Zealand, and Neil Stephens, CEO at the Port of Brisbane, both present to welcome the ship to its new home.
The two industry figureheads along with the ship’s Captain Arild Hanson carried out a plaque and key ceremony, a Royal Caribbean tradition for vessels that are making their maiden call to a port.
Mr Smith said: “Today’s arrival of Quantum of the Seas into her new homeport in Brisbane is the beginning of a new benchmark for family holidays from Queensland and throughout Australia.
“This is a significant day for the industry and Royal Caribbean, and we’d like to thank our loyal guests, suppliers and the wider travel industry in Australia and New Zealand for their unwavering support in the leadup to this moment and for our successful debut in Queensland.”
Nailed it!!! An absolute disgrace. The stench horrific and the facilities no better than a tin shed
I arrived home on the Quantum of the Seas yesterday to an overwhelming stench of sewerage and mangrove swamp and complete chaos at the new International Cruise Terminal.
The building is completely unwelcoming and uninformative for the overseas visitor, being decorated in prison grey and strongly resembling a cattle processing facility.
None of the welcome staff seemed able to supply helpful advice, there were no clear areas to divide the arriving passengers from those departing on the next sailing, and the only welcoming facility available was a single, overwhelmed coffee cart operator. Many passengers found themselves unable to change money, get directions to the city or airports or even find the areas for accessing ride share or taxi services. There are no bus/ train/ shuttle services for the airports, which are erroneously labelled as “ adjacent” … it’s a $30-40 taxi ride from the cruise terminal… and the access road to the cruise terminal is an absolute embarrassment.
Queensland, this is no way to welcome overseas visitors.