Visiting Tasmania by cruise

The vibrant capital city of Hobart is also Tasmania's primary cruise ship destinations.

Located within 800m of Hobart's CBD, the Port of Hobart can accommodate two cruise vessels concurrently up to a maximum length of 349m LOA. Macquarie Wharf No. 2/3 is the primary cruise ship berth in Hobart, and is home to the Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal. Additional cruise ships are accommodated at the adjacent multiuser berth at Macquarie Wharf No. 4/5.

On arrival, shore excursion coaches are staged alongside the ship at berth and passengers can access additional visitor services via a short 400m walk to the Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal.

Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal (MAC 02)

The Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal is located on Hunter Street alongside the Macquarie Wharf No. 2/3 berth.

The terminal will operate for all cruise ship arrivals and provides the following services:

• visitor information
• meet and greet services
• amenities
• free wifi for passengers and crew
• destination advertising
• market showcasing locally made gifts, souvenirs and other retail
• processing space for Australian Border Force, Immigration and Quarantine

The public is welcome to enter Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal. Access to the wharf-side of the building is restricted.

Hobart Artists Market

The Hobart Artists Market is licenced to coordinate and manage market stalls within the Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal. Enquiries related to the market, or to apply to be a stall holder at the market, please contact the Hobart Arstists Market coordinator at hobartartistsmarket@gmail.com.

Taxis

A taxi rank is located immediately outside the forecourt of the Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal.

Road closures

As part of TasPorts' commitment to safety, we will once again take steps to reduce the movement of vehicle traffic at the Port of Hobart on cruise ship visit days during the upcoming season.

We will close Franklin Wharf between Hunter Street and Constitution Dock Bridge to through traffic on days when cruise ships are in port during the 2023-24 cruise season.

Permit holders and service vehicles will continue to have controlled access, by way of a guard on duty at all times. Permits must be clearly displayed to ensure access.

These safety measures are critically important given the number of passengers and crew expected this year, and will be similar to those put in place for past cruise ship seasons, ensuring the safety of all pedestrians on Hobart's waterfront.

To assist with ongoing traffic management in the area, the pedestrian flow will be monitored continuously and the area re-opened to vehicle traffic and when it is safe to do so.

Christmas and New Year road closures

As per previous years, a 24-hours road closure will be extended along Hobart's waterfront between Monday 18 December 2023 to Thursday 4 January 2024, during the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race and New Year celebrations on the waterfront.

Coral Expeditions vessels

Since 2015 Coral Expeditions have home-ported a small expedition vessel in Hobart each year as part of their Tasmanian cruise season.

Coral Discoverer is a 63m small domestic vessel capable of carrying up to 72 passengers and will be home-ported in Hobart for the 2023-24 season. The vessel undertakes a variety of cruises around Tasmania during its season running from late December to March each year.

Calls at Hobart involve turnaround operations whereby passengers disembark after completing their cruise, prior to new passengers boarding later in the day to commence a new cruise.

Information on Coral Expeditions Tasmanian operations can be found on their website.

Public and tour operation meeting point

All arriving cruise ship passengers and crew transit through the Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal located opposite the University School of Arts building on Hunter Street.

Members of the public meeting a passenger or crew member can arrange to meet them inside the Cruise Terminal.

The terminal is surrounded by public voucher parking spaces located around the waterfront. The public is encouraged to park their vehicle in a voucher parking space and then walk to the terminal to meet their passengers. Parking vouchers are valid for 2 hours.

Information for pre-booked private tours or passenger transfer operators

If your vehicle is under 12 seats, you should park in a 2P voucher space around the waterfront and walk to the terminal to meet your passengers. You are permitted to take an A4 sign showing your company name and the names of passengers you are collecting to help your passengers identify you.

If you have a vehicle larger than a 12-seater, you will need to make arrangements to collect your passengers by contacting TasPorts' Southern Operations Team. Please email operationsadmin@tasports.com.au at least 48 hours prior to the date required to discuss arrangements to collect your passengers.

You will need to provide the following information in your email:

• Ship name
• Ship visit date
• Pick-up time
• Company name
• Registration details of vehicle
• Number of pre-booked passengers you are collecting

If you are requiring access to the secure port zone to collect pre-booked passengers from a vessel berthing at Macquarie Wharf No. 4/5, you will need to contact the Shipping Agent handling the cruise vessel to request permission and provide details required for the vessel security list.

Shipping Agent details can be located by viewing the Cruise Ship Schedule.

Contact details for each Shipping Agent be found below.

Drivers entering the secure port do not require a port access pass but will need to have completed the general and Hobart port inductions, as well as being on the vessel security list. The TasPorts general and Hobart port induction can be found online here.

Tourism operators without bookings

Destination Southern Tasmania manages a set of permit parking spaces on Hunter Street for tourism operators without booking to offer their tours to passengers.

Tourism operators interested in obtaining further information about the permit spaces should contact Destination Southern Tasmania directly.

Taxi companies

A taxi rank is located immediately outside the forecourt of the Macquarie Wharf No. 2 Cruise Terminal.

Additional overflow parking is available at the taxi feeder rank located outside the Port Tower for taxis awaiting a fare.

The city of Burnie had developed a strong reputation as a popular cruise destination over many years, and is the gateway to a range of experiences around North-West Tasmania.

The Port of Burnie is a busy industrial port, and Tasmania's second-busiest cruise ship destination.

Cruise vessels can be accommodated at one of the three multiuser berths, which are a short drive to the Burnie CBD. Find out more about this vibrant region here.

Information for pre-booked private tours or passenger transfer operators

If you require access to the Burnie Port to collect pre-booked passengers from a cruise vessel, you will need to contact the Shipping Agent handling the cruise vessel to request permission and provide the details required for the vessel security list.

The Shipping Agent handling each vessel visit is listed on the TasPorts Cruise Ship Schedule.

Contact details for each Shipping Agent can be found on our General Cruise Information page here.

Drivers entering the secure port do not require a port access pass, but will need to have completed the general and general port inductions, as well as being on the vessel security list. The TasPorts general and general port inductions can be found online here.

The Tasmanian Government is developing advice to support safe cruising in Tasmania. This advice will align with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (AHPPC) statement.

This advice, along with specific Tasmanian operational expectations for cruise ships will be available on the Tasmanian Government Department of Health website.