Growing queue of liners set to berth

THE first cruise ship of the year will dock in Townsville next week with industry leaders saying the city has positioned itself as one of the fastest growing cruise destinations in Australia.

The high- end liner, the Seven Seas Voyager, will bring 670 passengers and 450 crew to the city on Friday, February 16, for a one- day stop.

Passengers will get a taste of what the region has to offer, with tours already locked in for Paluma, Magnetic Island, Charters Towers, Reef HQ, the Museum of Tropical Queensland and Billabong Sanctuary

The luxury Seven Seas Voyager visit will be followed by another liner, the Artania, on Saturday, February 17, which will bring 1052 passengers and 531 crew to the city for another one- day stopover.

And on February 25, the Silver Whisper will arrive in Townsville and on February 28, the Seabourn Encore will arrive, carrying 382 and 604 passengers respectively.

The White and Grey ShipAttraction Committee chair Sharon Hoops said Townsville was one of the fastest growing cruise destinations in Australia and the city’s success as a destination was attracting attention from across the globe.

“Cruise ship and grey ship vessel visits represent a huge economic opportunity for Townsville,” she said.

“If we can impress our visitors, the numbers will grow and our community will reap the rewards.”

In 2016, four cruise ships docked in Townsville and last year, the city hosted 11 ships.

This year will be the busiest yet with 19 cruise ships visiting the city, including Townsville’s first cruise ship “partial- turnaround” in September.

“The Port of Townsville will facilitate its first cruise ship ‘ partial- turnaround’ on September 7 which means passengers will be able to board a cruise in Townsville,” she said.