Pacific Eden to call Cairns her home Port

Next week P&O’s spectacular ship ‘Pacific Eden’ will cruise into the Port of Cairns for homeporting, delivering an economic injection of $6 million in just three months to the Far Northern economy.                                       

Treasurer and Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt said this was the first time a major cruise line had based itself in a regional Queensland city.

“As a local, I can’t tell you how excited I am and as Queensland’s Treasurer I’m optimistic that this is the start of big things in this space,” Mr Pitt said..

“Pacific Eden will be homeported at the Port of Cairns from September through to November, offering nine cruises from the Tropical North which are projected to carry more than 13,000 guests and contribute more than $6 million to the local economy.

“Locals can expect Pacific Eden to become a familiar figure in the Far North, with an encore Cairns season featuring 10 cruises already booked in for August to November 2017.

“This will be an invaluable economic injection into the Far North that will also boost civic pride.        

“It means tourists will be flying in and out of Cairns Airport to meet their cruises and exploring the Far North’s awesome attractions, eating at the world-leading restaurants, visiting local shops and staying in the best hotels.

“This in turn has a great economic flow on for local suppliers and businesses in the region, from security through to delivery services, waste management and provedores

“On top of that, crews will enjoy extended stays in Cairns.”

The Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal has already been converted into an international terminal and expanded to include a ship processing area with customs, security, baggage and ship refuelling and loading – transforming Cairns into the home port of the Pacific Eden

The Treasurer said this would add to the significant growth in cruise ship berthing at the Port of Cairns, with ship visitation this year already up by more than 70 per cent compared to last year.

“Next year we will see a record 60 ship visits to the Port of Cairns,” Mr Pitt said.

“This is double the historical cruise ship numbers into the Port of Cairns.

“The Palaszczuk Government sees a bright future for the Port of Cairns and Queensland as a cruising destination.

“That’s why we’re targeting mega cruise ships up to 300 metres in length through the Cairns Shipping Development Project.

“That’s why we’ve written to the Turnbull Government seeking a review of the charter restrictions the Commonwealth places on superyachts entering Australia.

“That’s why we’ve allocated $20,000 to help the superyacht industry conducted an EIS into its economic potential.

“We know that Queensland already attracts the majority of all foreign superyachts visiting Australia and we want to encourage more.

Evidence shows that just one foreign superyacht can spend $2.5 million in a 12-month period, which would have considerable flow-on benefits for local tourism, hospitality and manufacturing sectors for areas right along the Queensland coast.