Ahoy! Ships return to Port
Local traders and tourist operators ready to reap a bonanza
When Covid hit it caused economic hardship for all Australians but in our precious Douglas Shire it hit the tourism sector like an atomic bomb.
Without those valuable visitors, places like Port Douglas go on life support and let’s face it, it did!
One of the things we could rely on pre-Covid were cruise ships mooring off port and ferrying in passengers with wallets and purses bulging. Not to put too crude a point on it but they would spend like drunken sailors.
They spent up big on one day excursions trips, food and beverages or clothes and jewellery, at some of the most fashionable shops in Far North Queensland.Places like Jungle Road owned by likable local Janette Walker.
Janette sure missed the cruise ships and the lovely ladies looking for something unique to wear at the next onboard cocktail party. But not all cruise ships are created equal says Janette “Some are budget cruises and they are not inclined to come in here, there’s nothing snobbish about it, it’s just the reality, whereas some cruises that are up market, we see them walking into the shop” she said.
However, while not all cruise passengers would come into her shop, Janette says all ships coming into Port is a good thing “they ultimately spend their money somewhere and spread the word about how good Port Douglas is, so that word of mouth is invaluable”.
Ruby don’t take your Covid to town
The cruise industry plays an innovative and important role in the world economy as well as many local economies like ours but at the beginning of this nightmare, ships were not exactly the flavour of the year. The Ruby Princess debacle for example, involved almost 2700 returning passengers, some showing coronavirus-type symptoms, who disembarked in Sydney on 19 March 2020.A total of 900 of these passengers were based internationally and flew home with the risk of spreading the virus, while the remainder travelled across almost every state in Australia to their homes.
NSW Health Authorities rightfully copped a bucketing for their short-sighted handling of the situation. But there was enough blame to go around. An official inquiry found the ship’s medical team contributed to the outcome by having too few swabs available for testing prior to disembarking, an action described as a “woeful shortcoming” and noted Carnival Cruises should have ensured that passengers and crew aboard the Ruby Princess were informed that there were suspect cases of COVID-19 on board. Further, not only was a cruise passenger the first Australian COVID-19 related death, the first deaths in at least four Australian states and territories (Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, and ACT) were cruise ship passengers. Ok, enough keel hauling, everyone needs to work together to recover.
All that glitters
Yoshi Fujiwara from L'Dream Jewellery in Macrossan Street agrees that it’s the more high-end cruises that see passengers walking into his shop. “Some cruises are coming from overseas and stop in at Port Douglas and those passengers are looking for presents for loved ones, so they purchase quality earrings or a necklace, so for us it’s wonderful” he said.
Across the road at Everything and Jenny McDowall is excited. The souvenir shop is often where ships passengers head to first and Jenny is ready for the influx. “The biggest seller is kids T shirts because often it’s the older demographic that’s cruising, so they’re buying for grandchildren. The other huge seller is men’s T shirts, but really it’s fantastic for the whole town, restaurants, pubs, everybody”.
Down at the Marina and tourism guru John Morris, the owner of Choo Choos Bistro, says the Marina comes alive when cruise ships arrive. “There’s no doubt we will be the beneficiary of the cruise industry destinations at the moment because many people are reluctant to cruise overseas but in contrast, they see Australia as a safe alternative, so we have a bright future this year and well into 2023” he said.
While cruise passengers don’t have a lot of time in Port Douglas, short tourist excursions like the Lady Douglas will be high on the list. Kate Agrums from Lady Douglas River Cruises is another who is excited by the cruise ship return. “Our boat is perfect for passengers to have a look at the Port Douglas waterways and experience a little bit of local hospitality and they might even spot a crocodile on our journey up the Dickson Inlet” she said.
Coral Princess first into Port
We’ll see the first ship the Coral Princess arrive in Port Douglas on June 30th on a 7-night cruise out of Brisbane. It’s fully booked with 1974 passengers signed up to sail. According to health website ScienceDirect, no other sector has been as widely impacted as the cruise industry, with a return to the robust growth enjoyed prior to COVID-19 not likely for many years. It’s nice to know Port Douglas will be a small part of that recovery, for them and for us