Terminal to welcome first cruise ship

THE brand new Cruise Whitsundays maritime terminal at Port of Airlie will welcome its first influx of cruise ship passengers next week.

Celebrity Century, Australia’s second highest rated cruise ship, will call into Airlie Beach on Thursday, December 4, as part of her final Australian season for the year.

The ship is expected to have 1800 passengers on board.

Volunteer cruise ship ambassadors will be joining Cruise Whitsundays staff to offer these guests a warm Whitsunday welcome via the new terminal, now an easy walk into Airlie Beach. Guests will be travelling to the mainland and enjoying a range of shore excursions departing directly from Port of Airlie’s new Heart of the Reef Bus Terminal.

Cruise Whitsundays CEO Nick Hortle said he hoped Celebrity Century would be the first of many cruise ships to choose the terminal as their point of entry to Airlie Beach.

“We’re very excited and [hope] it will be an awesome experience in a brand new purpose-built terminal that’s been designed with the comfort and safety of passengers in mind first and foremost,” he said.