Port Celebrates Record Cruise Season

The Port of Townsville is celebrating a record cruise season that saw 23 cruise ships carrying more than 27,000 passengers and 13,000 crew visit Townsville.

The last cruise ship for the 2025/26 season, Vista, visited Townsville today (Tuesday, 14 April) with about 1,200 passengers on board.

Port of Townsville Chief Executive Officer Ranee Crosby said the record season reflected increasing demand to experience the Townsville region.

“We work incredibly hard with our cruise partners in Townsville and within the cruise sector to make the seasons the best they can be, offering a welcome dose of energy to the city’s vibrant tourism sector,” Ms Crosby said.

“It’s exciting to see cruise ship companies visit Townsville for the first time, with the Port and cruise liners celebrating many maiden voyages this season.

“We also had the pleasure of welcoming several residential cruise ships, where residents on board were able to enjoy the city and region for a number of days.”

Ms Crosby said the cruise ship season usually ran from November to April, but next year’s season had been extended, with cruise ships booked to dock in June and July in 2027.

Member for Townsville Adam Baillie said the growing cruise trade was delivering solid benefits for the local community.

“Townsville continues to cement our reputation as the tourism and events capital of the North,” Mr Baillie said.

“Cruise ships are now becoming a reliable part of Townsville’s local economy, supporting cafes, shops and tourism operators as our city continues to evolve in the lead up to the 2032 Games.”

Townsville Enterprise Director of Visitor Economy Lisa Woolfe said the region’s cruise sector continued to go from strength to strength.

“It’s fantastic to see Townsville’s cruise industry continuing to grow and break records,” Ms Woolfe said.

“These visits deliver a significant boost to our local economy, particularly during the traditional off-peak season, providing greater year-round certainty for tourism operators.

“We’re welcoming passengers from all corners of the globe, and what’s most exciting is their genuine sense of surprise and delight when they experience our region - from the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage rainforests to rich Indigenous culture, unique wildlife and iconic locations like The Strand, just minutes from port.

“We’ve worked hard to not only increase ship and passenger numbers, but to enhance the depth of experiences on offer to these passengers. Giving cruise passengers more experience options means they are doing more and dispersing across the region like never before - ensuring the economic benefits are felt more broadly.”

Cruise tourism provides a major boost to the local economy with each passenger spending about $200 a day exploring the region.

The 2026/27 cruise season will begin in November 2026, with the first cruise ship, Riviera, due to dock on Saturday, 7 November 2026.