Cruise Ships Too Big for Sydney?

New giant-size cruise ships may be unable to dock in Sydney because they are too large to get under the famed Harbour Bridge, Australian officials said.

An alternative plan had been to allow them to dock at the naval base on Garden Island, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. But a review by Allen Hawke, a former Defense Department secretary, concluded that would interfere with naval operations.

Hawke suggested other options, including providing a mooring space near the Overseas Passenger Terminal or allowing cruise ships to use the cargo port at Botany Bay.

Ann Sherry, chief executive of Carnival Australia, said neither would work because passengers prefer ships to be at a dock and not moored offshore -- and because Botany Bay is unappealing. Bringing passengers in from a moored ship is also time-consuming and expensive, she said.
Industry executives said one-third of the cruise ships that are likely to visit Sydney will be too big for the Harbour Bridge by 2015. Sherry said she sees no reason why the industry and the navy could not co-exist.

''It's nonsense to say you can't have the two together,'' she said.

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Now That's Impressive Parking - Queen Mary II's Royal Arrival in Brisbane

THE world's most famous cruise ship arrived in Brisbane yesterday and it was up to Ipswich's Captain Chris Gallagher to ensure the ship's safe arrival into port.

Captain Gallagher of Karalee took control of the Queen Mary 2 at 3.30am yesterday as it floated off the coast at Mooloolaba.

He was one of two pilots guiding in the Queen Mary 2 for the final three hours of its trip before docking in the Brisbane River.

Despite its impressive size, Captain Gallagher said the Queen Mary 2 was easy to direct.

"The ship is very manoeuvrable. Despite its size it is very powerful and has an amazing propulsion system," he said.

"It's very much a team effort. It's not down to one person. There was a second commander who is like the captain and 10 other people on the bridge."

Preparations for the ship's arrival began over a year ago, and included a trip to Sydney for Captain Gallagher to meet the ship's crew.

"We actually spent a bit of time on a ship simulator at the Brisbane Airport and had a number of scenarios. We put in high winds and currents before the ship arrives so we know how it will perform once we get on board."

It was a happy moment once the ship had docked safely.

"It was exhausting. Once we got along side the dock there was a lot of relief. A high profile ship like that we don't want to it to go wrong."

He described taking control of the ship as one of his career highlights.

"It has to be. She's a very special ship and it would have to be up there when I look back on my career."

In 2009 Captain Gallagher piloted his first international vessel, the USS Ronald Reagan down the Brisbane River and into port.

Royal arrival

The Queen Mary 2 cost $1 billion to construct and is three times the size of the Titanic.

It is 345m long, 41m wide and travels at a top speed of 30 knots.

The ship has over 300 original art works, valued at over $5 million.

Romantic Proposal on Queen Mary II

THE enormous black and white sign hung over the side of the Queen Mary II as it sailed into Sydney Harbour on Valentines Day read "Marry me, Jess".

The 4 metre high banner strapped to the starboard side near the ship's funnel started a frantic search by breakfast television programs to find Jess.

Jess was said to be at Mrs Macquarie’s chair with her potential fiance Stefan. But television cameras struggled to find her there.

By 7.40am it emerged that the proposal was real, but it was also a carefully orchestrated PR campaign, done in conjunction with a morning television show and run by MG media.

Just after 8am ABC morning television reported that Jess had said yes. They then cut to news on Syria.

At 8.40am the Today show mysteriously found the couple, named Jess McGarrity and Stefan Libon and just happened to film them as the groom-to-be got down on one knee.

Romantic Proposal on Queen Mary II

Charles and Camilla Royals to Visit Australia

We were hoping for William and Kate, but the palace has confirmed Prince Charles and Camilla will visit Australia next year as part of the queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

To mark Queen Elizabeth's 60 years on the throne, members of the royal family will visit every realm, Commonwealth Country, Crown Dependency and British Overseas Territory.

In pictures: Queen Elizabeth's visit to Australia

Charles and his wife will tour Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The heir to the throne will also travel to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man alone.

Prince William and Kate, who were rumoured to be coming Down Under, will instead tour Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

Party-loving Prince Harry is likely to be very happy with his itinerary, which includes Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Prince Andrew will visit India, while Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will tour Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

Princess Anne will travel to Mozambique and Zambia, Prince Michael of Kent the Falkland Islands and Uganda, and the Duke of Gloucester the British Virgin Islands and Malta.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will stay closer to home, touring the UK including trips to Wales, Scotland and multiple destinations in England.

The monarch and her husband completed a very successful tour of Australia earlier this year, which included visits to Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

Your say: Which member of the royal family would you like to see in Australia?

Melbourne Tourism News: Victoria Set to Ride the Wave of the Bumper Cruise Ship Season

The start of the 2011–12 cruise ship season has opened and it is expected to be one of the biggest on record

The 2011–12 cruise ship season will see almost 60 visits to Victorian ports and seven inaugural visits, including the Queen Mary 2 in 2012 – the largest cruise liner ever to visit Melbourne. At 345 metres long the Queen Mary 2 will carry 2620 passengers and 1253 crew.

The 2012–13 season is set to be even bigger than the coming season, with more than 70 ships already confirmed.

"The Melbourne Cup Carnival traditionally marks the beginning of the cruise season in Victoria and, like the race that stops the nation, our cruise industry continues to grow," Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Louise Asher said.

"Cruise ship visits contribute significantly to Victoria's $15.2 billion tourism industry and with every ship that arrives, approximately $1million is injected into Victoria's economy."

Ms Asher said the Victorian Coalition Government, through Tourism Victoria, would capitalise on the cruise boom by undertaking quantitative research to profile travel behaviour and visitor satisfaction.

Ms Asher said in the coming season, two ships would also visit Geelong's Cunningham Pier and for the first time a cruise ship will stop at Portland, which has a naturally deep harbour.

"Developing Geelong and Portland as cruise ship destinations will broaden Victoria's appeal to the growing international cruise ship industry, and encourage more visitation to regional Victoria," Ms Asher said.

Victoria Set to Ride the Wave of the Bumper Cruise Ship Season

Princess Mary Charms Sydney Crowds

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary have toured Sydney, viewing clifftop sculptures, eating barbecued prawns, and taking a boat trip on the harbour as adoring crowds waved Danish flags.

The royal couple's trip is geared around strengthening trade and business ties between Australia and Denmark, with a focus on green energy and sustainability.

They kicked off their Sydney visit with a tour of the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition at Bondi.

The couple examined some of the sculptures, including a work by Danish sculptor Keld Moseholm and a work titled Who Left The Tap Running by Simon McGrath.

The exhibition holds a special significance for the pair, who visited it when they were first dating after Mary met the prince at a Sydney nightclub during the 2000 Olympics.

Mary was also living in Bondi when she met her future husband.

The couple's ten-month-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, arrived in Sydney with their mother on a Saturday morning flight, while Prince Frederik arrived on a separate flight later that day.

The older royal children, Prince Christian, 6, and Princess Isabella, 4, did not accompany them, the Danish consulate confirmed.

Crowd-pleasers

The royal couple waved and smiled as they were welcomed by NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and his wife Rosemary before visiting the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.

Mr O'Farrell said he was delighted to have the royal couple back to Sydney.

"Like many Australians, we share in the royal romance and relationship that some have described as a fairytale," Mr O'Farrell said.

They shook hands with several people in the crowd, some of whom cried "welcome to Australia".

Later, Mary and Frederik jumped onto energy-generating bikes to make themselves smoothies after opening an urban sustainability conference at Customs House.

The venue at Circular Quay was just over one kilometre from the Slip Inn, the bar where the couple famously met during the 2000 Olympics.

Later, they mingled with 400 guests, mainly from the Danish business community, at a barbecue at the Garden Island naval base on Sydney Harbour.

The barbecue menu included Tasmanian scallops, lamb and mint sausages, king prawns, Sydney rock oysters, barramundi, marinated Atlantic salmon, King Island beef eye fillet and pavlova with King Island cream.

The couple were spattered with a burst of heavy rainfall as they later boarded a boat to go to Admiralty House.

The couple's six-day visit to Australia includes stops at Canberra, Melbourne, western Victoria and Broken Hill in NSW, and will be followed by a private family visit.

Crown Princess Mary was born Mary Donaldson in Hobart and the couple married in Copenhagen in 2004.

It is the royal family's first visit to Australia since August 2008, although Princess Mary came for a private visit last year.

Aspire Hotel Sydney: Aspire Hotel Sydney Manager Ricky Risal in Attendance to Meet the Prince and Princess of Denmark

Ricky Risal, Manager of Aspire Hotel Sydney wasd in Attendance on Saturday to Meet Pricesss and Princess of Denmark


The invite was from the Lord Mayor of Sydney, our names were given by AHA board

Aspire Hotel Sydney: Aspire Hotel Sydney Manager Ricky Risal in Attendance to Meet the Prince and Princess of Denmark