| Cruise ship 'Spirit of Adventure' to visit Geelong |
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Geelong’s first cruise ship of the summer, the 'Spirit of Adventure' will arrive in Corio Bay tommorrow (20 December). The ship will have up to 500 guests and crew on board and will be on the Australasian leg of a voyage that will have included India, Sri Lanka, South East Asia, the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Middle East. The City of Greater Geelong, in partnership with Geelong Otway Tourism and Central Geelong Marketing, has organised a day of activities at Central Geelong Waterfront including a Christmas edition of the popular Steampacket Market to coincide with the Spirit of Adventure’s visit. Mayor Cr John Mitchell said many of the attractions on the waterfront would be offering special promotions to appeal to both local residents and the cruise ship passengers. “The day is an opportunity for local people to enjoy a day out on our beautiful waterfront and for the cruise ship passengers to experience some of the attractions that make the Geelong Waterfront such a popular annual tourism destination,” he said. Mayor Cr John Mitchell said the Spirit of Adventure would be the first of two ships to visit Geelong this summer. “Geelong will host two cruise ships this season, the Spirit of Adventure on 20 December and the Regatta on 17 February 2012, which is testament to our appeal as a cruise ship destination,” the Mayor said. “There is growing interest within the cruise ship industry to establish cruises that circumnavigate Australia, and this includes a stop at Geelong. “One of Geelong’s competitive advantages as a cruise ship port is the fact that our city centre is immediately adjacent to the waterfront – a natural advantage that few cities can match." Mayor Mitchell said the ships visiting Geelong this summer would anchor in the bay and passengers would come ashore via a tender vessel and then disembark through the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. “This is a common arrangement at ports worldwide but there is no doubt our appeal as a cruise ship destination would be significantly strengthened if Geelong had a public pier that could accommodate cruise ships,” Cr Mitchell said. “For some time the Council has identified the redevelopment of the Yarra Street Pier as a key infrastructure project for the city and the broader Geelong region. “Our goal is to replace the original pier that was destroyed by fire in 1988 with a new pier that will accommodate cruise ships as well as other vessels, such as naval units, smaller boats and luxury ships,” he said. PASSPORT TO FUN DAY 20 DECEMBER 2011 Steampacket Market Free Santa photos at the Carousel Ferris Wheel two for one offer Discount entry to National Wool Museum SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE BACKGROUND The Spirit of Adventure will arrive in Geelong, mooring in Corio Bay at approximately 8.00am. The ship originates from the United Kingdom and has up to 528 guests and crew on board. Measuring 139 metres long, 16 metres wide, the ship weighs 1796 tonnes. Destinations it has visited include Australasia, India and Sri Lanka, South East Asia, the Mediterranean and Black Seas as well as the Middle East. Prior to arriving in Geelong, the ship has visited Sydney and Eden, and after leaving Geelong, will cruise to Melbourne and then New Zealand. Click here to read about the G21 Priority Project Geelong: Cruise Ship Destination |
