Bumper month for cruise ship visits
Published: 3 December 2018
With three maiden visits among 10 cruise ship arrivals this month, Cairns will be humming with tourists as we head to the New Year.
“This month caps a great year for our premier cruise destination, the Port of Cairns,” Ports North Chairman Russell Beer said. “All up, we will have had 57 cruise ship visits through the port for 2018. And these numbers will only increase as the Cairns Shipping Development Project opens up our waterways to larger cruise ships in the future.”
On Sunday the Cairns home-based Coral Discoverer made an overnight visit to the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal arriving at 1500hrs from PNG, and departing today at 0900hrs.
On Wednesday, Seabourn Sojourn will make its first ever visit to Cairns at 0800hrs with approximately 787 passengers and crew on board, having travelled from Conflict Island in PNG. She will leave at 1800hrs headed for Townsville. The Bahamas-based ship is 198m in length, and was built in 2010.
As with all maiden visits, Ports North will hold a plaque presentation with the ship’s Captain to commemorate the occasion.
A second newcomer, Viking Orion, will be arriving at the CCLT on Sunday December 9 at 0800hrs.
This new cruise ship, launched earlier this year, carries 550 crew and 930 passengers and boasts a high-tech planetarium in keeping with its exploration themes (it was christened by astronaut Anna Fisher).
The Scandinavian-styled ship, based out of Norway, is 227m long. It will depart Cairns at 1800hrs on Sunday, travelling south along the East Coast.
Thereafter the CCLT will welcome Pacific Aria on Monday December 10, Sea Princess on Wednesday December 12, Seabourn Encore on December 13, Pacific Aria again on Monday, December 17, Regatta on December 18 and Seven Seas Mariner on December 21.
Finishing the month will be the maiden visit from Silver Muse on December 30, which will stay overnight then leave on the last day of the year at 1700hrs.
For more information contact:
Andree Stephens, Ports North Communications Advisor PH: 40523815