A busy week of cruise shipping in Melbourne and Geelong

This week, 20 to 26 January 2025, Port Phillip Bay is buzzing with activity hosting multiple cruise ship visits.

 

The cruise ship visits to Staton Pier in Port Melbourne the Geelong are keeping our Ports Victoria team busy, managing the safe navigation of the ships and the thousands of passengers and crew.

Also visiting Station Pier this week is the STS Young Endeavour. This ship is a brigantine – a two-masted, square-rigged sailing ship – specially designed and purpose-built for development programs for young Australians at sea.

At Station Pier

  • Monday 20 January: Pacific Explorer (*turnaround visit) and Regatta (*transit visit). This means around 6000 passengers crossed Station Pier on the day. This included those disembarking, those embarking on a new cruise as well as those heading out on day trips.
  • Tuesday 21 January: Pacific Adventure (transit visit, staying overnight) and Viking Orion (transit visit).
  • Wednesday 22 January: Pacific Adventure remains alongside.
  • Friday 24 January: Pacific Explorer (turnaround visit) and Young Endeavour, the sail training ship, arrives and stays overnight.
  • Saturday 25 January: Young Endeavour remains alongside.
  • Sunday 26 January: Disney Wonder (turnaround visit).

The Pacific Adventure is bringing interstate visitors to the Australian Open Tennis, supporting Victoria’s major events.

In Geelong

Tuesday 21 January: Regatta and Silver Muse call in. This is the first time two cruise ships have called at Geelong on the same day.

Key highlights

  • Monday kicked off the week with thousands of passengers at Station Pier.
  • Tuesday brings four cruise ships to Port Phillip Bay with two at Station Pier and two in Geelong.
  • We welcome a generation of future mariners currently learning their sailing skills on the Young Endeavour.
  • The week wraps up with the return of the magical Disney Wonder calling on Sunday.
  • Ports Victoria’s staff and stakeholders are working hard to make to keep operations safe, efficient and seamless to create unforgettable experiences for visitors.
  • Check out the Victorian Cruise Schedule for future visits.

*What are ‘turnaround’ and ‘transit’ visits?

A turnaround visit is when a full complement of passengers disembarks at the end of their cruise and another complement of passengers embarks to start a cruise.

A transit visit is usually for one day only, but sometimes there is an overnight stay, and passengers can go on day trips and return to the ship to continue their cruise. Transit visits can also include a smaller exchange of passengers, with some boarding to start their cruise from Melbourne.

Here are some of the cruise ships calling into Port Phillip Bay this week

           

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