Big Cruise Ship At Outer Harbour Today

[Wayno]

anyone passing by ? i'd love to see some photos

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 492056.htm

Big cruise ship sails in

A cruise liner twice as high as Adelaide's tallest building docks at Outer Harbour in Adelaide this morning.

Arcadia is thought to be the largest cruise ship to visit South Australia, and will have almost 2,000 passengers on board.

The ship will be in Adelaide for a day before cruising to Melbourne.

[Will]

A 270m tall boat!?

[Howie]

Must be a typo surely.

[ghs]

I didn't see the ship but there were quite a few people from the boat on the tram today....

[Prince George]

Yet another journalist/editor that can't be bothered with the simplest of fact checking. It's only "twice as high as Adelaide's tallest building" if you stand it up on its end. The MS Arcadia is 290m long.

[Wayno]

Yet another journalist/editor that can't be bothered with the simplest of fact checking. It's only "twice as high as Adelaide's tallest building" if you stand it up on its end. The MS Arcadia is 290m long.

wouldn't it travel better if they laid it flat in the water?

[Will]

I have just had a good laugh whilst watching the TEN news report about this ship. I had the captions on, and the person writing the captions was calling the ship the 'Al-Qaida'.

[stumpjumper]

12 public parking spaces at Outer Harbor.

SA Tourism Commission's response to my complaint about it?

SATC: 'Well, there's nothing we can do. Flinders Ports has a lease on the facility.'

Me: 'It's not very helpful for tourists and visitors.'

SATC: 'No. As I said, there's nothing we can do about it.'

Me: 'Have you tried to do anything?'

SATC: 'The land is leased to Flinders Ports.'

(This was from the receptionist - sorry, point of contact team member - so they must have drilled the whole office on how to shift the blame)

Me: 'Has anyone asked them if they'd lease back some land for carparking?'

SATC: 'I don't know.'

Me: 'Well who would I ask or make that suggestion to?'

SATC: 'You could write to the Minister.'

Me: 'No-one in your office I could talk to?'

SATC: 'Not really.'

Me: 'Thanks for your help and enthusiasm'

SATC: 'OK. Good-bye.'

I got the impression SATC doesn't like calls from 'outside'. SATC's attitudes don't encourage you to think SA tourism is in good hands. They might do a great lunch, but that's about it. They drive me up the wall.

[Ho Really]

anyone passing by ? i'd love to see some photos

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 492056.htm

Big cruise ship sails in

...Arcadia is thought to be the largest cruise ship to visit South Australia, and will have almost 2,000 passengers on board...

Yep, these journos can't get their facts right *. ARCADIA was not the largest or longest cruise ship or liner to visit SA up to that date. The length record goes to QE2 at 293.5 metres (962.9 ft) long, half a metre short of the maximum length permissible to pass the Panama Canal, in other words panamax. The weight record (in volume terms) up to just recently was STAR PRINCESS with 109,000 gross tons (108,806 to be exact)**. For curiosity's sake QE2's gross tonnage was 70,327 and STAR PRINCESS's overall length was 289 metres (951.4 ft).

** Since ARCADIA's visit we've had DIAMOND PRINCESS call this year weighing in at 116,000 gross tons (115,875 to be exact) which makes her the largest. Her length was 289.86 metres (954 ft ).

Next year we'll have QUEEN VICTORIA (February 24) and QM2 (March 11) visit. QUEEN VICTORIA at 294 metres (964.5 ft) and 90,049 gross tons will be the longest to visit until QM2 comes along to break all records. QM2 is 345 metres (1,132 ft) long and 148,528 gross tons (some say she's 151,400 gross tons). The harbourmaster at Port Adelaide has QM2 anchoring off the coast and tendering her passengers to shore. I hope that isn't true, because that'll mean we won't see her close up and worse still, passengers would have to tender half an hour or so to shore.

Cheers

P.S. * Jane Reilly also made the same error during the TEN weather segment.

[Ho Really]

12 public parking spaces at Outer Harbor.

SA Tourism Commission's response to my complaint about it?

SATC: 'Well, there's nothing we can do. Flinders Ports has a lease on the facility.'

Me: 'It's not very helpful for tourists and visitors.'

SATC: 'No. As I said, there's nothing we can do about it.'

Me: 'Have you tried to do anything?'

SATC: 'The land is leased to Flinders Ports.'

(This was from the receptionist - sorry, point of contact team member - so they must have drilled the whole office on how to shift the blame)

Me: 'Has anyone asked them if they'd lease back some land for carparking?'

SATC: 'I don't know.'

Me: 'Well who would I ask or make that suggestion to?'

SATC: 'You could write to the Minister.'

Me: 'No-one in your office I could talk to?'

SATC: 'Not really.'

Me: 'Thanks for your help and enthusiasm'

SATC: 'OK. Good-bye.'

I got the impression SATC doesn't like calls from 'outside'. SATC's attitudes don't encourage you to think SA tourism is in good hands. They might do a great lunch, but that's about it. They drive me up the wall.

SJ, even if you talk to the Minister or Ministers (Tourism, Infrastructure, Transport, etc.) they will all say the same thing. That Flinders Ports are in charge. Basically no one cares.

Cheers

[mcardlej]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

I have worked on Cruise ships for the last few years, I've worked on the Sun Princess which is in port on the 26th March. Also worked on some of the bigger ones like the Grand Princess and Golden Princess.... anyway, I agree... Adelaide has so much to offer these passengers but whoever is doing the planning is a little backward. Whenever I head out to Outer Harbour to meet my fellow crew members, I'm almost embarrased at what is out there. I would much prefer if the ships anchored just off of Glenelg and then tendered (i.e. little boats) into the marina at Glenelg. I realise that a lot of passengers go on tours to the Barossa. But please, Outer Harbour as the first thing they see when they get off the ship.. Embarrasing...

Cheers,
James.

[Paulns]

Whenever I head out to Outer Harbour to meet my fellow crew members, I'm almost embarrased at what is out there.

But please, Outer Harbour as the first thing they see when they get off the ship.. Embarrasing...

I tend to agree on that part. It would be nice if the government improved the look of the place a bit.. Itmight help when/if they ever extend the tram line to Semaphore? Atleast that way they'll be some newer nicer public transport into the city?

I would much prefer if the ships anchored just off of Glenelg and then tendered (i.e. little boats) into the marina at Glenelg.

They do that to get into Kingscote on Kangaroo Island.

[skyliner]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

I have worked on Cruise ships for the last few years, I've worked on the Sun Princess which is in port on the 26th March. Also worked on some of the bigger ones like the Grand Princess and Golden Princess.... anyway, I agree... Adelaide has so much to offer these passengers but whoever is doing the planning is a little backward. Whenever I head out to Outer Harbour to meet my fellow crew members, I'm almost embarrased at what is out there. I would much prefer if the ships anchored just off of Glenelg and then tendered (i.e. little boats) into the marina at Glenelg. I realise that a lot of passengers go on tours to the Barossa. But please, Outer Harbour as the first thing they see when they get off the ship.. Embarrasing...

Cheers,
James.

Well said. The last time I saw Outer Harbour was when QE11 came - very out of place catering for such a high profile liner. Admittedly 20 years ago Outer Harbour seemed like old sheds put there as an afterthought. I don't think much has changed. Embarrassing... Note - both Largs and Semahpore have in the past been docking points for passenger ships. Interesting....

[Ho Really]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

I have worked on Cruise ships for the last few years, I've worked on the Sun Princess which is in port on the 26th March. Also worked on some of the bigger ones like the Grand Princess and Golden Princess.... anyway, I agree... Adelaide has so much to offer these passengers but whoever is doing the planning is a little backward. Whenever I head out to Outer Harbour to meet my fellow crew members, I'm almost embarrased at what is out there. I would much prefer if the ships anchored just off of Glenelg and then tendered (i.e. little boats) into the marina at Glenelg. I realise that a lot of passengers go on tours to the Barossa. But please, Outer Harbour as the first thing they see when they get off the ship.. Embarrasing...

Cheers,
James.

Cannot agree with you more. I've been a regular at Outer Harbor for many years (cruise) ship spotting. This last season (2008-2009) I've been there only once to see DIAMOND PRINCESS depart. I love going there in the mornings, fresh air and great lighting (when they arrive just about sunrise). But, since Flinders Ports closed public access to the Overseas Passenger Terminal in the aftermath of 9/11 everything went down the toilet. Even the lawns and trees on the perimeter have now died and been cut down. The place has become a disgrace. This government talks up tourism (and cruise ship visits) but does nothing about improving things up there. As I've said, they don't care (just like Flinders Ports).

Cheers

P.S. Several years ago STAR PRINCESS visited us 5 times in one season on their cruises to Melbourne and Tasmania from Sydney. Remarkable, but guess what? Princess took note of our deficiencies and decided to give us a miss (for five or six years).

[Ho Really]

I would much prefer if the ships anchored just off of Glenelg and then tendered (i.e. little boats) into the marina at Glenelg. I realise that a lot of passengers go on tours to the Barossa.

Just wanted to add... Yes, it would be nicer, however the larger ships like those we've mentioned, have draughts of about 8-8.5 metres. This would require them to anchor a fair distance from Glenelg. Even if they tried anchoring there they probably wouldn't be allowed to do so for environmental reasons. Also if the sea on that particular day is rough, there won't be any tendering. Glenelg is more exposed than Outer Harbor (even at anchorage). The solution would be for a pier, but this would cost a lot (especially in terms of dredging) and have serious environmental issues. Pity.

Cheers