By John Van Klaveren
MORE cruise ships are bypassing Geelong because it lacks a wharf for passengers to disembark.
P&O Cruises this week announced new first-time destinations at Mornington and Portland, putting the “picturesque Victorian towns on the cruise map”.
The cruise line will make five calls to the Mornington Peninsula and seven to Portland over the next 12 months, injecting almost $5 million into the local communities.
The regional visits later this month were part of the leading cruise line seeking to open more regional destinations, a Carnival Australia spokesperson said.
“P&O Cruises will have five ships based locally enabling us to take our guests to new destinations around the Australian coast,” the spokesperson said.
“Cruise lines consider a wide range of factors when determining their ports of call including the appeal of the destination to passengers, the attractions it offers, local tourism infrastructure and proximity to other ports in the schedule.
“P&O Cruises is adding Portland and Mornington Peninsula to its schedules this year as both ports offer easy access to some memorable attractions and activities, from local wineries to sightseeing on the spectacular Great Ocean Road, which we believe will be popular with our guests.
“Our itineraries throughout the Pacific region feature a mixture of ports with and without wharves. Whilst it is not unusual to drop anchor and use tender boats to carry passengers ashore, it is unquestionably faster for passengers to disembark at a wharf.”
Cruise ships visiting Geelong previously have used a tender to ferry passengers ashore.
One of the most-highly rated liners in the world is slated to visit Geelong, with the sold-out five-star Marina arriving on Sunday.
The Independent last month reported the Marina, on its maiden voyage to Geelong carrying 1250 passengers, was a major coup for tourism operators.
But the city’s cruise season was dealt a blow when Seaborn Odyssey abandoned a one-day stop-over last month due to bad weather causing delays to its schedule. However, it will bring its 450 passengers to Geelong on 21 February.
Cruise ship visits to Geelong have fallen from a high of nine in recent years to three this season.
Mayor Darryn Lyons told the Independent he was working hard to get more cruise lines to Geelong.
Securing the Marina’s visit added weight to his push for a dedicated cruise ship pier, he said.
