Cruise Passenger readers always have plenty to say about what’s going on in Australian cruise, and in the broader cruise community. In Your Say, Cruise Passenger looks at the issues our readers are writing to us about on our blogs, posts and newsletters.
One topic dominated Aussie cruise discourse this week, with over 200 Cruise Passenger readers chiming in on what they think of Wollongong or Newcastle as locations for a third Sydney cruise terminal.
Cruisers are completely split on what the best option is. Some feels Wollongong can work great, others think Newcastle is the best option, and others feel both are way too far away from Sydney to count as a new Sydney port.
Bob Shaw is on the side of Wollongong/Port Kembla: “Port Kembla is already used for cruise ships. Would be easy to add a terminal. Smaller ships can be docked west of the bridge in Sydney and suit Australia better anyway for most ports around the country and through islands like the Kimberley.”
Suzanne Holmes is on the same team: “Lots of interesting stuff to do in Wollongong. think it will happen, there’s a big push and lots of support for Wollongong.”
Billy Lea thinks a Port Kembla port could attract bigger ships: “If Wollongong can take the bigger ships, like Icon and Oasis class, then that would be great. since they can’t dock in Sydney”.
Martin Pressman said: “Wollongong, Shellharbour airport has flights to Melbourne and Brisbane and return, also has a train line to Port Kembla, plus amazing tours to Jervis Bay Kiama and Kangaroo Valley, plus will take all the big ships, no brainer.”
Peter Waugh points out that Wollongong is much closer to Sydney. “Wollongong because it closer to Sydney & Sydney airport. You would have to look at South Port Kembla close to the railway station.
“I cruised this year from Southampton in the UK. It’s a 2 hours bus ride from London, not ideal.
“If it is Port Kembla you would have to run special trains from Central with only 2 or 3 stops to Port Kembla. Each ship can take thousands of passengers so you may need several trains. make it like football matches in Sydney, each cruise ticket includes FREE train travel, just include an extra $30 in the cruise fare.”
Others like Robyn Condon are more on team Newcastle. “Newcastle has an airport that connects with the majority of Australian population that don’t live in Sydney.
“A cruise terminal was promised years ago.”
John Cook said: “If you don’t live in Sydney then the obvious choice is Newcastle. It has an international airport and plenty of flights from Gold Coast Brisbane and Melbourne Adelaide Canberra and Perth and now NZ and Bali
“It can take unlimited size ships as witnessed by the massive coal carriers. Cruise ships already call here. We just need processing facilities for disembarking and embarking passengers.”
However, other cruisers like Peter Solas, aren’t quite so sure on either option, and feel that neither can be called a Sydney port.
“So, cruising from Sydney will actually be cruising from the Gong or Newcastle? That’s like telling people that landing at Toowoomba airport is the same as flying to Brisbane.”
Others are still desperate for Sydney to find a way to get more ships into the city centre.
Paul Turner says: “here has to be a way of making the space/creating a port in Sydney Harbour for a another permanent cruise terminal!! We have to think outside of the box!! Create something that will be a destination in its own right!!! People come to Sydney to see the harbour!!
“Let’s reshuffle circular quay- relocate some ferries – let’s get our priorities right – how much money do the ferries make NSW compared to the cruise industry???? We can extend the dock towards the bridge and make two ships fit!!”
Christie Joy said: “Except neither location is in Sydney. imagine being an international tourist and finding out that your cruise ship is nowhere near Sydney. Maybe the navy should go to these other locations and use Garden Island for cruise ships.”
In other cruise news, some Aussies are fed up with paying premiums for cruise, compared to fares in the USA.
Randel Stephens said: “All the cruise lines are making record profits and they are overcharging Australian customers by hundreds each cruise. On top of that they are overcharging for drinks as well.”
John Cook said: “I have virtually stopped cruising out of Australia when fares escalated. Now I fly cruise around Asia. All the Australian based cruiselines reduced their available berths but demand hasn’t dropped so they can now charge higher prices.”
Other cruisers chimed in on whether medical marijuana should be allowed on cruise in Australia, it’s currently banned even for those with prescriptions.
Sharon Summerhayes said: “My opinion – it should be treated just like any other prescription, and allowed. A few years ago, I struggled horrendously with anxiety and CBD oil helped immensely.”
Tash Currie said: “Of course it should be allowed. Anything you have a prescription for should be.”
Rick Van de Velde said: “It also depends on which countries you are visiting in your itinerary. If it’s illegal in those countries, then regardless of whether you take it off the ship or not, it’s illegal and the cruise line can be held complicit to its ‘importation’.”
Please keep those comments coming!
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I would like to see all cruise ships to come to Adelaide. Adelaide has a lot to offer. Older people or should I say more mature people find it very difficult to have to fly from Adelaide to Sydney or Melbourne, to connect with cruise going anywhere. I would like the shipping companies to look into this. It would be great to be able to cruise from Adelaide to start one’s trip. Hoping to hear from you on this matter. Thank you
Newcastle and Wollongong are New South Wales ports, not Sydney’s, and they haven’t got the ease of going into the city, as one has from Circular Quay.
Also one would miss out on the harbour and its scenery, and ferries to various tourist spots.
Many people are accusing cruise ships that visit Australia as over charging their costs. What they need to realize is that it is the Australian government that is over charging. It costs a cruise ship between $30,000 and $40,000 to dock in Sydney because of Australia taxes.
The government need to stop being so greedy.
As long as tax payers money isn’t used for the terminal.
Cruises bring in income FOR BUSINESSES. Let the private enterprise build and pay for the cruise terminals. Businesses get the benefit (profit) from cruise passengers let them pay for them.
Use our public funds to supply us with hospitals schools roads and railways
Being from cruise deprived Melbourne we certainly like the convenience of Circular Quay if we feel the need to travel to Sydney to board a cruise. This is now only on rare occasions as we mostly fly cruise from Singapore or Yokohama where the itineraries are more varied and prices cheaper even with the added air fares.
I would think Garden Island the best location for a new terminal within the harbour. Wollongong and Newcastle are both very interesting places but they should be ports of call not a departure point.
Wow I see that Melbourne’s getting one return PRINCESS CRUISE departing in 2027.
As Australia’s second most populous city that is almost laughable if it wasn’t so sad.
If a Disney Wish class cruise ship comes over, is it possible for it to arrive in Wollongong or Newcastle?
Port Kembla appears to be the obvious choice based on facts. It is 70 km’s about 45 to 80 minutes from Sydney International Airport. It is also close to the new Western Sydney International Airport about a 1 hr 20 road trip.
The population is rapidly spreading and growing in western Sydney and it is just over the mountain and close to Port Kembla. Wollongong is now virtually a Sydney suburb.
Also the road distance from Canberra to Wollongong is 229kms about 2 hr 30 by road a close proximity for the many tourists that would wish to visit the national capital from Port Kembla.
If Sydney truly wanted a third cruise terminal, they could redevelop Port Botany into one. Newcastle has Port Waratah which is already the busiest coal export port on the planet and handles more ships than Port Botany. There is also a large logistics hub already planned for the Port of Newcastle, which also already has existing connections to the rail system.
Let Newcastle take over as the main logistics hub for the state and then Sydney could focus on tourism.
Re new Sydney cruise terminal. I think overseas visitors would be upset that the ships weren’t berthing in the harbour. It is a magnificent harbour and the ease of literally being able to walk into the CBD, or using the light rail, is marvellous. I think they should relocate the Navy. They could move to the Gong or up to Newcastle.