Virgin arrival crowns Darwin’s evolution as a cruise ship hub

A historic first arrived at Darwin’s Fort Hill wharf on Monday as the NT’s cruise-ship market reached another milestone. Read what’s caused all the fuss.

The first ever Virgin Voyages cruise ship to arrive in Australia has made its first antipodean stopover in Darwin.

The Resilient Lady berthed at Fort Hill wharf at 8am on Monday, signalling the start of a two week cruise down Australia’s east coast to Sydney, sailing at capacity with 2700 passengers and 1160 crew.

The vessel has 17 decks and the cruises are designed for adults and while Adelaide couple Lynn and Colin Norwood didn’t just sign up because there were no kids, they said that helped.

The Resilient Lady berthed at Fort Hill Wharf early on Monday. Picture: Willem Westra van Holthe

Speaking in Darwin on Monday morning, the couple boarded the Resilient Lady when it embarked from Athens on October 12.

“The itinerary from Athens to Sydney attracted me to sign-up,” Lynn said.

“The vessel is fantastic and we liked there are no children. We flew from Adelaide to Athens, had four days in Athens because we love it and we got on the cruise and came back.”

Lynn and Colin Norwood

Colin said the crew were excellent.

Experienced cruisers Justin Samuels and Briana Holmes joined the Resilient Lady at Singapore as part of a 32nd birthday celebration.

Organised to help Justin celebrate his big day, Briana was also loving the experience.

“The people are beautiful, the food is great, the customer service is amazing and I have zero complaints,” Briana said.

Justin Samuels and Briana Holmes.

Justin said they had previously taken Virgin Voyages first vessel the Scarlet Lady from Miami to the Bahamas.

“It was great so we decided to come on this one next, great times, great customer service and the food’s amazing.”

The couple were planning a visit to the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT.

Local businesses benefited from the influx of an additional almost 4000 people into the Top End — about the size of an average NT electorate.

Sam Weston from Mad Snake Cafe Virgin cruise November 2023

Sam Weston, owner of Mad Snake Cafe in Austin Lane in Darwin’s central business district, said it was a busy Monday morning.

“It’s been flat out all morning,” he said.

“They’re buying lots of breakfasts, they’re buying lots of drinks, it’s good. They’re money spenders.”

The Resilient Lady berthed at Fort Hill Wharf on its first Australian stopover. Picture: Willem Westra van Holthe.

Passengers planned a quick shop in the airconditioning while others were headed to the Botanic Gardens or had taken the plunge on a helicopter pub crawl.

The company is also proudly buffet free, ditching the waste they create for intimate dining experiences and Michelin-inspired menus that have been crafted by some of the world’s most respected chefs.

The Resilient Lady disembarked Darwin at 4pm but will return on April 5 next year as it sails into the northern-hemisphere’s cruising season.

Darwin’s cruise ship season runs from November to April.

Originally published as Virgin arrival crowns Darwin’s evolution as a cruise ship hub