Why you won't see a cruise ship in Port Kembla this year

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed that ships such as Explorer of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas will not be docking in Port Kembla anytime soon, despite the Australian federal government lifting the restriction on cruise ships from April 17.

The inclusion of Port Kembla and Wollongong on cruise itineraries began in 2016 after a push from the region to welcome cruise liners.

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Prior to the pandemic, cruising was an increasingly popular pastime for Australians and those around the globe, with Sydney unable to handle the increasing number of cruise liners seeking to dock in the city.

Port Kembla emerged as an alternative, still within a day-trip's distance from Sydney and with attractions all of its own.

However, the pandemic shut down the cruise industry, with the federal government banning cruise ships from docking in Australia from march 2020.

Mark Sleigh, managing director of Destination Wollongong said it was not surprising that Port Kembla would not immediately welcome back cruise ships.

"Clearly the cruise industry has been decimated with what's happened over the last two years and I'm sure that the number one priority is to look at itineraries that are that are based out of Sydney and getting people reacquainted with the concept of getting back on a cruise ship," Mr Sleigh said.

The first cruise line to return to Australian shores is P&O, with a four night Sydney to Brisbane cruise in May.

Other cruise liners will start in spring, with peak cruising season during the summer months.

Chair of Cruise Wollongong, Leigh Colacino, said that work had been going on behind the scenes to to promote Port Kembla as a port to other cruise operators.

"We had other cruise lines ready to come in, we were on their itineraries," he said.

Mr Sleigh said that as numbers pick up again, Port Kembla will continue to be an attractive destination.

"I'm sure when the time is right and the numbers are back that Port Kembla will play a part in the future cruise industry."

The arrival of cruise ships in the Illawarra will be a boon for hospitality and tourism-focused businesses, with each arrival estimated to inject $1 million into the local economy. In addition, the experiences of each of the 5000 passengers on each ship would ensure Wollongong was promoted to national and international audiences.

"The social media posts from visitors to their network, whether it's in Australia or internationally, that kind of exposure is vitally important and arguably more important than the actual economic benefit short term on the visit," Mr Sleigh said.

Mr Colacino said that Wollongong presented an attractive proposition to cruise liners because of the variety of experiences on offer.

"Sailing into Port Kembla is an experience similar to sailing into Sydney Harbour that you can't get anywhere else in the world. They've got the Harbour Bridge and the heads, we have the backdrop of our escarpment."

With Wollongong gearing up to host the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in September, however, the opportunity to welcome international visitors and showcase the local region is not only confined to cruise ships.

"Wollongong will again be on the world stage," said Mr Sleigh.

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