Cruise spend patchy
CRUISE ships will bring 10,000 visitors to Cairns this month but the benefits will be patchy for the city’s small business operators.
The Pacific Explorer docked at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal at 7am on Saturday morning to allow its 1998 passengers to explore the city before departing at 5pm. It is on a seven-day voyage from Gladstone to Dili in East Timor.
The P&O ship was the first of seven ships to stop in Cairns throughout February.
Plenty of the ship’s guests took bus and reef tours of the region, while a smaller number spent the day in the CBD.
The Esplanade’s eateries and bars were the main attraction with Rattle n’ Hum welcoming dozens of cruise ship passengers this week.
Function manager Lisa Cooper said the crowds were “fantastic” given the warnings about coronavirus and its impact on Chinese tourism.
“I’ve seen quite a few of the cruise ship passengers in here – I like to talk to a few customers while I’m on the floor,” she said.
“Between us and the Pier Bar, that’s where they love to go. To have seven cruise ships here this month will be fantastic. It’s definitely a great thing for our business.”
But a few blocks away, Blackbird Espresso owner Troy Furner said his Oceana Arcade cafe rarely got to cash in on the cruise ship guests.
“It can be a bit hit and miss but generally I don’t find they are a big impact on us,” he said.
“It does depend on the demographic of the boat, though. If there are more Australians on it, we might get a family or two per boat.
“In Port Douglas, I know there is a big impact on the town when the cruise ships dock, but not so much for us.
“I hope the ships do help with tourism because it’s looking like we will be in for a pretty average February.”
For the Lai family from Sydney, a day in Cairns was “much better than Gladstone”.
Parents David and Lily picked the Pacific Explorer cruise because of the stop in Dili, where they both were born. Daughters Catherine and Selinda are with them.
Catherine said the entertainment on the cruise ship and the shopping in Cairns had been the highlights.
New clothes were the top items on her purchasing list.