Arrival of Disney Wonder a magic moment for Brisbane port

The arrival of Disney Wonder at the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal (BICT) on her maiden call as part of her inaugural Australian season was a great show of confidence in Brisbane, Port of Brisbane CEO, Neil Stephens, said.

โ€œWe were absolutely delighted to welcome the Disney Wonder to the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal as the 2023/24 summer cruise season kicks into full swing,โ€ Stephens said after the arrival on Friday, December 8.

โ€œThe arrival of Disney Cruise Lines to the BICT speaks volumes about the industryโ€™s confidence in Brisbane as a key hub for cruising in Australia.

โ€œThe BICT had an enormously successful first full cruise season in 2022/23, welcoming 139 cruise ships. This season, 165 cruise ships are currently scheduled to call during October 2023 to September 2024.

โ€œWith every ship call contributing almost $1 million to the Queensland economy, the cruise tourism industry will continue to play a significant role in our stateโ€™s economic growth and prosperity.โ€

Disney Wonder in the Port of Brisbane edited
Disney Wonder in Brisbane.

Investment in parking continues

Stephens said the Port of Brisbane was continuing to invest in the world-class facility to support the cruise industry. 

โ€œWeโ€™re currently expanding the existing onsite car parking, with works underway to deliver 340 new car parking spaces during 2024. This is in addition to our $177 million investment to privately fund and deliver the terminal to ensure cruising has a dedicated and world-class home in Brisbane.โ€

Wilson Parking will continue to manage the BICT space.

Brisbane will welcome more than 160 vessels to the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal during the 2023/24 cruise season which runs from October to September 2024.

Cyclone Jasper aside, ships like Disney Wonder and Royal Caribbeanโ€™s Quantum of the Seas and Carnival Cruse Lineโ€™s Carnival Luminosa put Queensland cruising in direct competition with the ports of Sydney and Melbourne. Sydneyโ€™s OPT and White Bay are almost at peak capacity and in Melbourne, Cunard recently cancelled Station Pier as a homeport because of rising costs, opting instead to invest in Brisbane as a port of call.

A report by Deloitte Access Economics, commissioned by Port of Brisbane, found that cruising from Brisbane will contribute around $1.15 billion over the decade from FY22.

Cunard in Port Melbourne
Cunard at Station Pier in Melbourne.

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