Queensland leads Australia in welcoming back international cruise ships

Speaking at the A$177m Brisbane International Cruise Terminal which was completed late 2020 but has not been used due to the coronavirus pandemic, Palaszczuk said health protocols are now in place for the restart. 

She said all passengers and crew must be fully vaccinated, there will be COVID testing and masks are to be worn on embarkation and disembarkation.

P&O and Princess Cruises

Cruise lines were quick to respond with Carnival Australia unveiling 140 calls to Queensland ports by its seven brands this year in a commitment worth an expected A$165m to the state’s economy.

P&O Cruises Australia’s first voyage 90 years ago included Brisbane and Pacific Explorer is scheduled to make the inaugural call at the new BICT on June 2.

On June 16 Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess will make her maiden deployment in Brisbane with a three-night round cruise — the first of 21 cruises from the Queensland capital in 2022/23.

On August 20 P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Encounter will be based in Brisbane for her first season Down Under, sailing 24 cruises this year.

Queensland the linchpin

Carnival Australia President Marguerite Fitzgerald, who attended Palaszczuk’s press conference at the BICT on Friday, said Queensland is once again set to be the linchpin of cruising in Australia after the two-year pause in operations.

‘Like our guests, we cannot wait to return to Queensland,’ Fitzgerald said.

‘Not only do Queenslanders love to cruise, the state has a fantastic selection of ports that are among our domestic and international guests’ favourite destinations, from Cairns in the north to Moreton Island in the south.’

Great news for local businesses

‘Confirmation that cruising will soon return to Queensland is fantastic news, particularly for the thousands of local businesses that depend on cruise tourism,’ Cruise Lines International Australasia’s MD Joel Katz said.

‘Brisbane is well placed to become an important cruise gateway in Australia,' he added, 'and the city’s new cruise terminal will help deliver huge benefits, not just to the capital, but to cruise destinations up and down the Queensland coast.'