New figures indicate increase of international cruise ships to the Whitsundays

International cruise ships visiting the Whitsundays are expected to overtake the pre-Covid period by a third, but there are fears this will be too much of a stretch for the reef. SEE WHO’S DOCKING

The Whitsundays are preparing to welcome more international guests in the coming season as the region has secured more overseas cruise ships than last year — including some in the top 30 globally by size.

New figures show numbers of cruise ships visiting the Whitsundays have increased by more than a third in the last five years, with more international ships coming to the tropical paradise.

A Tourism Whitsundays spokeswoman said 50 ships have come to Airlie Beach in the 2019-2020 financial year, compared to 82 in the 2022-2023 financial year post-covid.

There has been 71 arrivals this season, with 11 more expected in the coming months, making it a similar figure to last year.

While cruise ships contribute an estimated $30-40 million annually to the Whitsundays economy, it is believed that an increase can be partly explained by the reopening of Shute Harbour in December 2021, as the region is now able to welcome international ships.

And the past two years have been a testament to that with seven international cruise ships coming to Shute Harbour last season, while there has been 15 this season.

“The arrival of cruise passengers ensures a steady stream of visitors, not only for our bars and restaurants but also our retail outlets and beauty services,” the spokeswoman said.

Numbers of ships visiting the Whitsundays are projected to double in the next season, with Quantum of the Seas intending to return. Picture: Contributed

Manager for Aviation, Tourism and Marine at Shute Harbour Shaun Cawood said numbers of international cruise ships coming to the Whitsundays are expected to increase by a third next season.

Numbers of international ships visiting the Whitsundays are projected to increase by a third in the next season, due to the capacity of Shute Harbour. Picture: Contributed

Mr Cawood said there were very few harbours in the country that had 100 meters of berth space available to cruise ships to disembark their guests.

“We can bring at any time 1000 guests simultaneously,” he explained adding that cruise companies had recognised their efficiency in service delivery over the past two seasons.

“Other ports might bring in only 300 guests at a time.”

Manager for Aviation, Tourism and Marine at Shute Harbour Shaun Cawood said the capacity of the Whitsundays to increase its ship intake is due to the berth space available at Shute Harbour. Picture: Contributed

Mr Cawood added that the variety of operators that cater to transport guests from the ship to shore meant they could run five vessels at any given time.

He said the companies involved in the cruise transfers are Cruise Whitsundays, Sealink, Explore and Reefstar Cruises 2001.

“The cruise companies have sent us written feedback to say that this was the most sought after experience for their guests,” he said adding that more overnight visits were planned for next season as well.”

While the economic benefits are apparent to the region, concerns were raised in the Whitsunday community over the impact the shift into catering for more international cruise ships would have on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Impact on the reef

Whitsunday Conservation Council Vice President Tony Fontes said international ships follow international protocols when it comes to environmental requirements, which would not necessarily be adapted to the needs of a ‘sensitive environment’ like the GBR.

The Jubilee Pocket resident of 20 years referred to MARPOL, an international treaty on air pollution that have been requiring all ships worldwide to start using less environmentally damaging fuel since 2020.

He said many ships had gone for the cheaper option called the “scrubber” since the law had passed, which has prompted new research to be conducted on the impacts.

Whitsundays Dive Operator Tony Fontes has seen the health of the Great Barrier Reef deteriorate over the past 43 years. Picture: Brendan Radke

“[It] removes much of the sulphur dioxide and then pumps it into the sea, turning serious air pollution into serious water pollution, particularly in a sensitive environment like the Reef,” Mr Fontes explained.

He told this publication the Whitsunday Conservation Council have tried reaching out to several cruise ship companies that have come to the region for answers on what method they use, without any success.

Mr Cawood said he believed the cruise companies they have dealt with were all “environmentally-focused” and that they were planning on “groundbreaking initiatives” for the Whitsundays.

“We are working on a partial dynamic anchorage positioning, which is been reviewed by GBRMPA as we speak,” Mr Cawood said.

He explained the new technique would mean the anchor would not fully lie on the seabed, diminishing further the impact of anchorage, “even though with the current [technique], there is very limited impact on the environment.”

We have reached out to Tourism Whitsundays. They declined to comment.

Here are the international cruise ships planned for next season:

 Royal Caribbean 

– Quantum of the Seas

-Ovation of the Seas

 Celebrity

-Celebrity Solstice

-Celebrity Edge

 Silverseas

-Silver Muse

-Silver Nova

Viking

-Viking Venus

-Viking Sky

Others

-Azmara Pursuit

-Regatta

CORRECTION: This article previously stated that Shute Harbour has 100 berth spaces available which was incorrect. The harbour has 100 meters of berth space available to disembark guests.