The arrival of Pacific Explorer on October 25, 2022, marked the first large cruise ship to visit Hobart (Tasmania Australia) in 2+ years.
P&O Australia's ship Pacific Explorer docked with ~3000 passengers and crew members onboard, marking the first of a total of 62 calls in Tasmania by Carnival Corporation ships from now until the end of April 2023.
Premier of Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff, welcomed the return of cruising to Tasmania.
He said that in a significant boost for their economy and for local businesses, Tasmania was once again welcoming major cruise operators back to their shores, with the Pacific Explorer and her passengers landing in Hobart.
“This marks another significant milestone as we continue to transition out of the pandemic, and will provide a welcome boost to local businesses and our economy after nearly three years without.
Mr Rockliff gave the figures on how much the cruises would inject into the local economy. He said that 153 port calls had been booked in Tasmania for the 2022-2023 season "with the economic contribution to Tasmanian businesses estimated at US$60 million in direct passenger spending and ~US$100 million in value-added products/shipping services.
Businesses benefitting from the cruise season included "tourism operators, shipping agents, ports, Tasmanian travel agents, producers, and other suppliers across the state.”