NCL president renews attack on Sydney’s port space

One of the most influential players in the global cruise industry has weighed in on Sydney’s reluctance to invest in its port facilities for overseas passenger ships.

CEO and president of Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) Harry Sommer, told a global media delegation of his frustration that there appeared to be little progress to increase the city’s port facilities beyond the existing single spot at Circular Quay.

Sommer was speaking aboard NCL’s brand new pride of the fleet, its new Prima vessel, that made its inaugural voyage from Reykjavik this week (attended by Travel Weekly.)

“It’s a unique and specific issue just to Sydney,” Sommer said of the Harbour’s inability to port multiple large vessels.

“It doesn’t really apply to anywhere else. Sydney only has one major berth and I don’t know of any major port or city in the world – I’m sure there’s some, but none come to mind – that only allows one ship in, and the companies that have been there for the past few decades tends to monopolise that space,” he said.

There has been ongoing talk of a new facility at Yarra Bay in Port Botany, while the port of Eden recently lifted restrictions to help ease congestion in the Harbour. That said, facilities in Brisbane and Melbourne have recently undergone significant upgrades in the hope of luring ships away from Sydney.

Sydney, of course, does have the facility further west at White Bay. However, it has been plagued for years by resident complaints over noise and fumes from vessels, while it can only be accessed by smaller ships capable of passing under the Harbour Bridge.

Sommer added: “We have to send ships that can fit under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and we only have three of those in the NCL fleet. Of the three, we send The Spirit because it’s the nicest of the fleet and just underwent a $US160 million refurbishment.

“I know many in the industry have made impassioned pleas for the powers that be there [the NSW government] to reconsider what they’re doing.

“I know there’s been talk of a new terminal at Yarra Bay [in Botany Bay] as an option. There’s an ongoing joke in private that I’ll be an old man in a wheelchair before the Australian government gets its act together on this.

“I don’t mean to disparage anyone and I’m certain there’s some political will there to do something that is meaningful for the industry. But until that actually happens it’s hard to do much more than we can and Australia remains one of the biggest markets for us,” Sommer added.

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harry sommer Norwegian Cruise Lines port botany Sydney Harbour Bridge Yarra Bay