Superliner on course to make dream berth
THE first of the superliners able to dock at the Port of Cairns after dredging of the shipping channel has been revealed.
The 269m-long Explorer Dream is scheduled in October for a day with 1900 passengers.
Member for Cairns Michael Healy said Dream Cruises’ Explorer Dream would visit Cairns on October 23 after successful negotiations with the State Government.
It is a Leo-class cruise ship and longer than the biggest ships currently able to enter the port before dredging, the 261m long Sea Princess and Sun Princess. Dredging should allow ships as long as 300m.
“We’re partnering with the private sector to bring more tourists to Cairns because we know this will support local jobs,” he said.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the ship would visit Cairns, Gladstone, Mooloolaba and Brisbane in October. It is scheduled to return to Cairns in March next year.
Another big ship confirmed next year is the 293m Carnival Spirit on December 30 with 2680 passengers. It has had to anchor offshore at Yorkeys Knob and Port Douglas in the past.
“This sector is already worth $1.1 billion to Queensland’s economy every year.
“The $48 million Attracting Tourism Fund we announced at the election is designed to bring more cruise ships to Queensland,” Ms Jones said.
“Securing Dream Cruises’ Explorer Dream will provide opportunities to tap into the burgeoning Chinese cruise market – Queensland’s number one international market – with more than 80 per cent of those on board coming from China.”
A spokesman for Ms Jones said negotiations were underway with other cruise operators to bring bigger ships to Cairns.
There are 18 ship visits for the remainder of this year at the Cairns port plus 43 in 2020.
Explorer Dream received an $82 million upgrade earlier this year. It was formerly known as SuperStar Virgo and built in 1999 in Germany at a cost of more than $500 million. It has a crew of 1300. Dream Cruises is based in Hong Kong.