Circular Quay Two Ship Turnaround

[Cruise ship fan]

This is taken from Cruise Weekly.

 

PLANS to introduce two time slots for cruise ships visiting Sydney may become a reality early next year. The Port Authority of NSW’s coo and harbour master Philip Holliday told CW the typical 6am-6pm cruise call would be shifted earlier, making way for a second

ship in the evening.

“Because there’s limited infrastructure we’ve got to try and get more out of the existing infrastructure,” Holliday said

 

This very likely to first occur on January 28, as Royal Caribbean created a double booking when they extended the season of the Ovation, which caused the ship to have calls at the OPT when the Radiance was due to be in. Since then the Radiance has been missing from the cruise schedule yet the cruises are still being sold, and with no answer from Royal or Sydney ports regarding what is going to happen. This could very likely be their solution to it.

 

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[Brisbane41]

Its about time Sydney ports got some real managers and told cruise lines "no the berth is booked and you cannot come that day" That is what part of the problem is these imbeciles double booking ships when they know they cannot accommodate them. It is further a problem when luxury lines like Crystal "pay out bribe money" for a premium spot at Circular Quay when their ships can sail under the bridge at the expense of larger ships that have to anchor in the harbour.

 

Part of the problem is incompetent managers at Sydney ports. As we all know it is unrealistic to expect two cruise ships to have a turn around in a single day at that port. Totally unrealistic given that some ships have up to 5,000 passengers or 10,000 to turn around on one single ship in a matter of hours.

 

Sydney needs to start looking at viable alternatives for a second berth maybe at Port Botany or acquiring the old HMAS Platypus site and turning it into a dock.

 

Using the Navy base is unrealistic as most cruise ships are now too long to berth at their short wharf's.

[OzKiwiJJ]

acquiring the old HMAS Platypus site and turning it into a dock.

 

That would suit me fine, even closer to where I live :D

 

Using the Navy base is unrealistic as most cruise ships are now too long to berth at their short wharf's.

 

Eyeballing Google satellite view it looks like there are a couple of longer wharves on Garden Island that are about the same size as the OPT so putting a cruise terminal there would actually allow three ships on the eastern side of the harbour bridge.

 

And all the NSW state govenrment needs to do is to allow their developer mates to buy up any spare land at the southern end of Garden Island and that would pay for the cruise terminal redevelopment. :D

Edited September 8, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[tazza_0712]

This is taken from Cruise Weekly.

 

PLANS to introduce two time slots for cruise ships visiting Sydney may become a reality early next year. The Port Authority of NSW’s coo and harbour master Philip Holliday told CW the typical 6am-6pm cruise call would be shifted earlier, making way for a second

ship in the evening.

“Because there’s limited infrastructure we’ve got to try and get more out of the existing infrastructure,” Holliday said

 

This very likely to first occur on January 28, as Royal Caribbean created a double booking when they extended the season of the Ovation, which caused the ship to have calls at the OPT when the Radiance was due to be in. Since then the Radiance has been missing from the cruise schedule yet the cruises are still being sold, and with no answer from Royal or Sydney ports regarding what is going to happen. This could very likely be their solution to it.

 

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

They've updated the port schedule recently to indicate that Radiance will be anchored at Athol Buoy on the 28th Jan and again when both her and Ovation are in port at the same time.

 

I quite like the double time slot idea, though it's going to make turn around day for the affected cruise lines quite a different beast.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MicCanberra]

The first time it happens will be bedlam and Graham will be very busy indeed.

[The_Big_M]

Its about time Sydney ports got some real managers and told cruise lines "no the berth is booked and you cannot come that day" That is what part of the problem is these imbeciles double booking ships when they know they cannot accommodate them.

 

They do that normally. In this case they made an exception so that the RCL flagship could extend its stay. Its the same line that's made the booking for both ships.

[Russell21]

Pretty disgusting that one of the finest harbours in the world can't properly handle 2 decent sized cruise ships at the one time.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

It has been done before when the 2 Queens met in Sydney .

In 2011 Queen Elizabeth was on her maiden voyage and overnight'd at the OPT. and QM2 came in the next day to Garden Island .QE left early afternoon and a Fred Olsen ship that was waiting on Athol Buoy slipped into the OPT.

[GUT2407]

The first time it happens will be bedlam and Graham will be very busy indeed.

 

Only if both ships are serviced by his company, I see a bigger issue being when you've got say Celebrity Solstice and emerald Princess scheduled and need to change the staff as well.

[MicCanberra]

Only if both ships are serviced by his company, I see a bigger issue being when you've got say Celebrity Solstice and emerald Princess scheduled and need to change the staff as well.

 

They were both RCI ships, so Graham could possibly do both. In terms of differing lines, there would need to be some sort of down time with the change over of staff, but this would occur anyway with the leaving of the first ship and disembarkation of the second ship.

[Brisbane41]

Pretty disgusting that one of the finest harbours in the world can't properly handle 2 decent sized cruise ships at the one time.

 

Have you been to Sydney or seen it on a map?

 

The issue is that none of the biggest ships that come here can fit under the harbour bridge which is the cause of all the congestion problems.

 

The only alternate place is the Navy base which is off limits and does not have the infrastructure to load and handle cruise ships. It was designed to tie up warships. Some ships were lucky like the QM2 that they were given special permission to dock there.

 

The other issue is none of Sydney harbour is straight. It is all curved bays and inlets.

 

Where do you propose that additional cruise ships can tie up in Sydney?

[cheznandy]

It has been done before when the 2 Queens met in Sydney .

In 2011 Queen Elizabeth was on her maiden voyage and overnight'd at the OPT. and QM2 came in the next day to Garden Island .QE left early afternoon and a Fred Olsen ship that was waiting on Athol Buoy slipped into the OPT.

and we were on that one with you David:)

 

We were processed at White bay, then shuttled over to the QM2 at Garden Island via Captain Cook ferries. I remembered getting off the ferry at the lowest level and looking up at that huge ship:eek:......being met by white gloved staff...what an experience!!

 

Once on though, I believe we were not allowed off, Garden Island was all locked up with gates. I think organised excursions were allowed off. Very tight security there and definately not geared up for a terminal as is.

Great view though!

[The_Big_M]

Where do you propose that additional cruise ships can tie up in Sydney?

 

I'm sure some politicians would like to help out certain developers with some more work...

[OzKiwiJJ]

The other issue is none of Sydney harbour is straight. It is all curved bays and inlets.

 

Um, I very much doubt that Circular Quay was straight until they build docks there. It was probably just as curved as the rest. ;)

 

There's a nice straight bit at the end of Darling Point. They'd have to get rid of a few multi-million dollar homes first, and the neighbours might complain about views being blocked every time a cruise ship docked. :p

Edited September 9, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[MicCanberra]

Um, I very much doubt that Circular Quay was straight until they build docks there. It was probably just as curved as the rest. ;)

 

There's a nice straight bit at the end of Darling Point. They'd have to get rid of a few multi-million dollar homes first, and the neighbours might complain about views being blocked every time a cruise ship docked. :p

 

The Mardi Gras started in 1978 and Sydney hasn't been straight since.:p

[OzKiwiJJ]

The Mardi Gras started in 1978 and Sydney hasn't been straight since.:p

 

*Groan* :rolleyes: :D

[mrs and mrs]

The Mardi Gras started in 1978 and Sydney hasn't been straight since.:p

 

Love it lol.:);):)

[GUT2407]

The Mardi Gras started in 1978 and Sydney hasn't been straight since.:p

 

Is there a "This joke made me sick" emoticon.

[MicCanberra]

Is there a "This joke made me sick" emoticon.

 

The closest is :confused::eek:

[OzKiwiJJ]

Is there a "This joke made me sick" emoticon.

 

The closest is :confused::eek:

 

This combination is better :eek::rolleyes:

[MicCanberra]

This combination is better :eek::rolleyes:

 

Or :eek::p:rolleyes:

[Brisbane41]

Um, I very much doubt that Circular Quay was straight until they build docks there. It was probably just as curved as the rest. ;)

 

There's a nice straight bit at the end of Darling Point. They'd have to get rid of a few multi-million dollar homes first, and the neighbours might complain about views being blocked every time a cruise ship docked. :p

 

You have obviously seen it from the air or google maps or google earth. The only way new docks can be built is if waterfront mansions are acquired and demolished to make way for a new terminal and cruise ship access on the east side of the bridge. Court action alone would probably take 50 plus years for the government to get its way there if they decided to take that path.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

and we were on that one with you David:)

 

We were processed at White bay, then shuttled over to the QM2 at Garden Island via Captain Cook ferries. I remembered getting off the ferry at the lowest level and looking up at that huge ship:eek:......being met by white gloved staff...what an experience!!

 

Once on though, I believe we were not allowed off, Garden Island was all locked up with gates. I think organised excursions were allowed off. Very tight security there and definately not geared up for a terminal as is.

Great view though!

 

Yes that was a wonderful cruise.A few other CC members were on that cruise too. That was the one when we were scheduled to go to Christchurch but that dreaded earthquake came along.

We were at GI for 2 days and were permitted ashore . The security was very well organised . We simply clicked off the ship then walked an S shaped course through a tent that was set up and then there we were outside the gates of the Garden Island Naval Base. A short walk took us to Woolloomoolloo ,which we had fun exploring.

Locals also came on board and Cunard had a commemoration Ceremony in honour of servicemen who were carried on the original Queen Mary.

Our balcony overlooked the base , so we could see all of your taxpayers funds at work , and we looked out onto a street that brought traffic down from that main road from Kings Cross.

There was heaps of room, and if the Navy got off their butts and moved a few ships there was room for at least another 2 cruise ships at the same time.

[Brisbane41]

Yes that was a wonderful cruise.A few other CC members were on that cruise too. That was the one when we were scheduled to go to Christchurch but that dreaded earthquake came along.

We were at GI for 2 days and were permitted ashore . The security was very well organised . We simply clicked off the ship then walked an S shaped course through a tent that was set up and then there we were outside the gates of the Garden Island Naval Base. A short walk took us to Woolloomoolloo ,which we had fun exploring.

Locals also came on board and Cunard had a commemoration Ceremony in honour of servicemen who were carried on the original Queen Mary.

Our balcony overlooked the base , so we could see all of your taxpayers funds at work , and we looked out onto a street that brought traffic down from that main road from Kings Cross.

There was heaps of room, and if the Navy got off their butts and moved a few ships there was room for at least another 2 cruise ships at the same time.

 

No there is no more room for cruise ships at Garden Island. As you can see from my little profile picture I have spent a great deal of time there and know the base well. The issue with that is too many of the wharfs there are too short. If you look at the basin just north of the dry dock no cruise ship could possibly dock there. The cruiser wharf at the north western tip of the island is only like 150m long and the wharf to the south of it is close to 270m long and most ships that long can easily fit under the bridge. Also there is no infrastructure to handle the cruise ships at that point and there is no easy access to vehicles and supply vehicles. Coming in where the QM2 was docked is the only place that the ship could fit and south of that is too shallow and narrow to allow cruise ships.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Garden Island may not be suitable as it stands now, Brisbane41, but with extensive redevelopment, including reshaping and lengthening of the wharves, it could be made into a very nice cruise terminal which could accommodate a number of ships. Doing some quick measurements based on the length of the OPT I reckon they could fit at least five ships of varying sizes around Garden Island. Of course, they'd need to move the Navy out completely.

Edited September 10, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ