Royal Caribbean cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas docks in Darwin port

Thousands of tourists have descended on Darwin after the first of what is set to be 100 cruise and expedition ships docked in the Top End for a one-night stop.

Litchfield National Park, crocodiles and humid walks are on the agenda for 2500 tourists who have arrived in the Top End.

On Thursday, Royal Caribbean cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas docked in Darwin as part of its Sydney-to-Fremantle voyage.

Within hours of arriving, one passenger, Susan from California, said she was “so far” impressed.

“This is probably the most humid place we’ve been, I think,” she said.

“(Darwin) looks very modern – and the people have been very friendly and very punctual.”

Sydneysider Sam Nailo said he had not been in Darwin in 35 years.

“This is one of the highlights so far, being in Darwin,” he said.

“I want to go see the underground tunnels where the oil storage was and all that – we’ll try and see as much as we can.”

The Brilliance of the Seas cruise ship will be docking in Darwin overnight. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Nailo’s wife, Jackie, joked that it was nice to use Australian currency as the cruise operated entirely in US dollars.

“I’ve been good, I’ve only had three cocktails this entire trip,” she said.

Tourism Minister Joel Bowden said the ship’s arrival was the first of more than 100 cruises and expedition ships expected to visit Darwin this year.

“The cruise ship industry makes a significant contribution to the local economy with passengers and crew spending across the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors,” he said.

“During the 2023-24 cruise season we are expecting the cruise ship industry to inject $65 million to the Territory’s economy, creating jobs and providing a welcome boost to local tour operators, retailers and the hospitality industry.”