The new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal celebrated its first birthday on June 2 2023, a major milestone for the $177 million development that has helped turbo-charge the restart of cruising in Queensland.
Port of Brisbane CEO, Neil Stephens, said it had been a remarkable restart for cruising in Brisbane.
“In its first 12 months of operation, the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal has welcomed 138 vessels and almost 650,000 passengers through its doors,” said Mr Stephens.
“It’s extraordinary when you cast your mind back to when cruising was ‘paused’, and the facility was instead a Queensland Government vaccination hub.
“This past year, 12 different cruise lines have called into Brisbane, with three choosing to homeport a vessel there throughout the busy summer months.
“And, with every vessel call contributing almost $1 million in economic benefits for Queensland, it’s also injected a much-needed boost into the State’s economy post-COVID.
“The last 12 months have been a huge team effort with our cruise line customers and the many partners that work hard every day to ensure a seamless experience for passengers. I want to thank all involved in making the cruise terminal such a success for the city.”
The 2023/24 cruise season, which runs October to September, is also shaping up to be bigger than the first, with 195 vessels currently scheduled to call.
It’s clear that with such high demand, the future of cruising is bright in Brisbane!
Watch our birthday video here.