Cruise ships at Port Botany?

What do you guys think, it seems like a good idea, theres a lot of dock space, and its close to the airport.

Port Botany is nice in its own right, but its no Sydney harbour, i think that might be a problem for some cruisers, but i think if they dock visiting ships at OPT and then eventually get the ships based in Sydney at Port Botany in a permanent cruise terminal, it could work quite nicely.

It could work because after the Port botany extensions there is a lot more space. And the South side barely gets used anymore, it could fit 3 well sized cruise ships, and it could be the answer to the white bay contreversy as well, what do you guys think?

Yep I agree. Unless they kick the Navy out of Wooloomooloo it's really the only option.

I don't think its a question of "If its a good idea", but rather when are they going to start on it?

With the ever increasing size of cruise ships its looking like the only place they can go. Properly planned and executed it could work very well. The terminal could be multi purpose, ie available for conventions, TV Media Centre etc as they do overseas. It would have to be completely separate from any cargo/container operations, and yet still provide truck access for servicing the ships.

I think the cruise lines have given up on Sydney trying to decide what to do with the mega ships calling, and have now turned around and said ..."We are coming Ready or not".

I do recall reading an interview with the head of RCCL Australia(Gavin Smith?) and he said that Botany Bay was their preferred option.

I just hope when they do ahead and do something there , that they future proof it...ie make provision for at least 4 mega ships at once.

Botany Bay is the only logical solution for sure and certainly very handy for the airport! :eek:

I Agree, i dont want them to make one extra cruise port and leave it at that and if 5 years time, run out of berthing space again, they need to plan ahead, so i agree at least 3 berths would be required in my opinion

The former NSW State Government started work on two new cruise berths further up the Harbour from the Harbour Bridge, despite protests from most cruise lines that such berths would be a white elephant . The future of cruising is larger ships and anything larger than 80,000 tonnes is not going to fit under the Harbour bridge . Port Botany was considered previously as the cruise lines do not favour it (too far from CBD) . The current thrust is a joint Federal / State Government investigation as to making one berth available at Garden Island Naval Base for cruise ship use . Even with this Sydney would still only have 3 cruise boat berths . Finally cruise lines seem very eager for Governments and taxpayers to fund cruise berths, but not very inclined to fund such infrastructure themselves .

To be Honest the Cruise lines are just going to have to get over it, there isnt much other option, they could easily put a train line from port botany to the airport (and eventually the city) if they wanted, there is already and exsisting rail road that they could base it off.

They have to accept that Garden Island isnt going to happen. And it doesnt even have enough room to hold ships in 5 to 10 years

Finally cruise lines seem very eager for Governments and taxpayers to fund cruise berths, but not very inclined to fund such infrastructure themselves .

It did not happen in Brisbane. Portside was built by private developers, admittedly on land owned by P&O. In return for building apartments and shops the cruise line got a terminal. OK its at the back and OK not much public viewing for sailaways, but at Botany why cant they do the same. The State or Govt, owns the land, why cant the cruise lines just lease it and get a developer to build a multi purpose facility and then pay them port fees, or better still, Carnival and RCCL join together and build something that they can lease out when they are not using it.

They don't have to look to the taxpayers to pay for it.

Anyone that thinks Clover Moore and her bike riding greenies are going to allow cruise ships in or near Potts Point are kidding themselves,It's hard enough to get a car through there with all the bike tracks let alone the infrastructure needed for all the trucks to keep the ships going.I would think Botany Bay would have to be ideal in the long term.

But there are already tank ships there, cruise ships wouldnt make a difference

Would Botany Bay become a port that is listed in itineraries as Botany Bay for Sydney? As in Cittavechia for Rome?

Would Botany Bay become a port that is listed in itineraries as Botany Bay for Sydney? As in Cittavechia for Rome?

Not necessarily. I have seen brochures that say .......

London and they dock at Southampton:eek:

Bangkok and they dock 2 hours away.

Botany Bay isn't THAT far from downtown Sydney - certainly not as far as Southampton is from London LOL. We are very spoilt that cruise ships currently dock right in the heart of the city.

But there are already tank ships there, cruise ships wouldnt make a difference

Are you referring to Garden Island or Botany Bay.Supplies needed to keep a cruise ship going would far outweigh that of any navy ship.....except the largest of US aircraft carriers.On second thoughts the beer required may be the same :)

Unless they changed the rules, US Navy ships are "dry" so no beer for them! Ever wonder why the sailors 'enjoy' their shore leave so much?

I got an email from one of the members of the cruise terminal steering committee saying this:

"Good afternoon,

Garden Island is still an option and Sydney Ports’ is looking forward to actively participating in the recently announced review by Department of Defence of the ability to accommodate more cruise ships at Garden Island.

The existing operations at Port Botany and the expansion work that is well advanced are focussed around container handling.

Regards

Shane"

So its obivous that they are still relying on Garden island, which is a big problem in my opinion. Even if they work something one with Royal Australian Navy (which chances are they wont.) It will only be one terminal, which may work for the next few years but then when we get to the next couple of years after that, they will need to find another terminal somewhere else in Sydney, and its going to look very messy and unappealing if they have terminals scattered all over the city. What they need is to focus on the long term plan, set up a multi-purpose cruise facility where is there is room to hold more than a few ships. Make it appealing and a proper terminal, so that the city is ready to host all the wonderful cruise ships that want to come, with a proper, world class terminal and turn Sydney into a premier cruising destination, which is just asking to be made into

Port Botany does make some sense as a turn arounf port for the local market, though not really for the international one. The overseas passangers want to sail in and out of Sydney Harbour and see the Bridge and Opera House, Port Botany can never offer this.

Perhaps the major overseas ships will still go to Sydney, however I do know that the restaurants who are the tennants of the OPT do not like the ships being there as the view from the restaurants is spoilt when this happens and can thus impact bookings, so they would be glad to see the terminal close to ships.

If this were to happen, what does Sydney offer cruise ships that other ports such as Brisbane and Cairns don't offer? Will the ships still come here? Not sure, time will tell, but one thing would be for sure, people won't get up at 5.30am to watch the ship arrive in Port Botany, and imagine the nightmare of transfers to and from the city.

I think it makes a lot of sense, providing a proper facility is built there.

It wasn't that long ago, the biggest ships in Sydney were Fair Sky type ships, then along came Pacific Sky, and now we have Dawn Princess and the like.

Wont be too far away when they are passed along the chain and we will have Diamond and Sapphire Princess as our stable local market.

I for see a situation where the smaller "luxury " ships will still cruise into Sydney, and everyone else will dock at Botany.

Moral of the story...If cruising out of Sydney Harbour is on your bucket list....

Do it NOW..

Perhaps the major overseas ships will still go to Sydney, however I do know that the restaurants who are the tennants of the OPT do not like the ships being there as the view from the restaurants is spoilt when this happens and can thus impact bookings, so they would be glad to see the terminal close to ships.

 

Can't see the Overseas Passenger Terminal ever not being used for ships. There are plenty of ships suitable for that terminal. So popular is that terminal's priceless location, ships come and go and return, during the peak season.

It is the mega liners which need to find berths outside the harbour, such as Port Botany.

Many people aren't aware that small ships can berth in London, unlike the larger ships which berth in Southampton.

Infrastructure is the key.

Port Botany would certainly be a good idea but the traffic on General Holmes Drive and Southern Cross Drive is horrendous during peak hours and almost as bad during non peak times and this is 7 days a week.

There is a railway track at Port Botany used for freight which I think ends up at Sydenham.Not 100% sure about this but I know someone on here will know where this line ends up.

Instead of travelling into the City visitors could travel out to my old stomping ground of La Perouse.There is lots to see there:)

Regards Elaine.

Bwahahahaha infrastructure, Sydney and forward planning.....is an oxymoron. As if they are going to build a rail link just for cruise ships from Port Botany.....it will never happen! We're flat out getting rail links put in for commuters in the North West to the city!!!!

As much as I'd love to have a cruise ship go from near my home, heck, I'd love to see it put at Kurnell at Captain Cook's stomping ground (you could do a shore tour of the Desal plant and Oil refinery :D) or better still tender into Cronulla :p and bus into the city, during peak hour (hmmm fun!) on the already overly congested roads. But they have the train line into the city from Cronulla :p.

So many good reasons for it to go in that area. Gavin made a good call on this one and I hope Anne Sherry supports him.

So many good reasons for it to go in that area. Gavin made a good call on this one and I hope Anne Sherry supports him.

What did he say about it?