Pacific Explorer first to dock at the new Brisbane terminal, which is capable of handling the world’s bigges cruise ships
With great fanfare, P&O Cruises Australia’s flagship Pacific Explorer became the first to dock at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal at the northern mouth of the Brisbane River on Thursday.
In 2018 Carnival Australia and Port of Brisbane reached a commercial agreement, with Carnival committing to purchase berthing days, withpriority rights.
Commercial certainty
‘The agreement with Carnival Australia gave us commercial certainty to construct the terminal,’ Port of Brisbane’s CEO said at the time.
However, as previously reported, the new A$177m terminal, which was due to open in October 2020 and can handle the biggest ships in the world, lay dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key market
Marguerite Fitzgerald, P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia president, said Queensland is once again set to be a key market for cruising in Australia after the two-year pause in operations.
‘Today’s arrival in Brisbane heralds the resurgence of the cruise industry in Queensland with its multitude of cruise destinations now set to benefit from the revitalisation of cruise tourism,’ Fitzgerald said.
‘Prior to the pandemic, cruising accounted for more than A$1 billionannually in economic activity in Queensland with regional destinations, from Moreton Island to Cairns, benefitting.’
Pacific Explorer’s passengers spent the day on shore tours before the ship sailed for Sydney on the return leg of the four-day round cruise.
Pacific Encounter takes up residence in Brisbane, her home port, in August.
