A new international cruise ship terminal will be operating in port of Brisbane within 2 years after Carnival Australia and Port Brisbane announced they had reached a new commercial agreement.
The BICT (Brisbane International Cruise Terminal) at Luggage Point is due to be operating by mid-2020 and to generate almost US$5 billion in economic value for the economy of Queensland alone within fifteen years.
The amended commercial agreement between Australia’s leading cruise organisation, Carnival Australia, Australia’s Port of the Year and Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd follows the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s) conditional approval of the project in May.
Carnival Australia is the only cruise ship operator to base its vessels in Australia full-time via its brands of Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and P&O Australia, and has been at the forefront of the growth of the sector for more than ten years. It also represents iconic cruise lines such as Cunard, P&O Cruises UK, Seabourn and Holland America Line.
Both PBPL (Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd) and Carnival Australia had been considering commercial implications of ACCC’s conditions and agreed a way forward in the best interests of cruise industry, state’s economy and Queensland tourism.
The BICT is due to generate at least US$3.7 billion in economic value over fifteen years via opening up Brisbane port to more and bigger ships from the fleet of Carnival Australia alone. It is in addition to the over US$1 billion which cruising already contributes to the economy of Queensland through purchase of fresh produce, passenger spend, fees and charges.
Carnival Australia entered into a long-term agreement with PBPL committing to buy a maximum of one hundred ‘foundation’ berthing days of no more than 4 in any week for 15 years to underwrite the building of the new cruise ship terminal at Luggage Point. Carnival Australia in exchange receives priority berthing rights at the cruise terminal.