Melbourne is Victoria's capital and Australia's second largest city. It has been voted one of the worlds most liveable cities and has a cosmopolitan population of 5.3 million.
Cruise ship passengers arrive at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, which is only 4 kilometres from the city centre and has direct transport links by road and an extensive public transport system.
Station Pier offers four dedicated berths making this southern capital the perfect cruising destination.
Melbourne's international airport is ranked in the top 20 in the world with direct flights from Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles in North America and connections to all of Europe via hubs in Asia and the Middle East.
Why is Melbourne one of the fastest growing cruise destinations in the southern hemisphere?
- We offer a safe and friendly environment.
- We provide a superior Meet, Greet and Farewell Program.
- We have an international airport ranked in the top ten in the world with direct flights from Los Angeles daily.
- We offer many forms of transport from the terminal e.g. tram, shuttle bus, taxi and limousine.
- We have many international attractions within 10 minutes to an hour of the cruise ship terminal.5
The strength of Melbourne lies in the diversity and friendliness of its people.
Spectacular sports, arts and cultural events will have you enthralled.
A national fashion and shopping capital since the 19th century, Melbourne continues to set standards in the quality of products and customer service.
To implement a city experience, within one and a half hours of Melbourne you can explore three distinct and easily accessible regions including the Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley wine regions, historic Ballarat and Bendigo and the coastal regions of Queenscliff and the Mornington Peninsula.
Gallery Images
Tabs
Activities
Sightseeing Opportunities (Short Trip/Half Day)
- Bunjilaka Exhibition at Melbourne Museum - A living cultural centre for Victoria's Aboriginal community and all those wishing to learn more about Australia's Indigenous cultures.
- Koorie Heritage Trust – Located at Federation Square, the Koorie Heritage Trust showcase Victoria’s Aboriginal culture. KHT offer walking tours of Narrm (Melbourne), art exhibitions by Victorian Aboriginal artists and cultural experiences for visitors.
- Melbourne Zoo - Located 10 minutes from the city you can view more than 350 wildlife in brilliant botanical settings.
- NGV – The National Gallery of Victoria has two campuses and is a must-see attraction for visitors to Melbourne. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia - located at Federation Square hosts an extensive collection of Australian art, from Aboriginal Art to Colonial Art and a contemporary collection. NGV International – Australia’s oldest and most visited gallery houses the gallery’s international collection and hosts blockbuster exhibitions across the year.
- Old Melbourne Gaol - Gain an insight into prison life in a model 19th century gaol.
- Queen Victoria Market - The Queen Victoria Market bursts with fresh produce, international cuisine, a wondrous range of wares, clothing and souvenirs.
- Royal Botanic Gardens - Established in 1846, the Royal Botanic Gardens cover 36 hectares. The gardens are home to over 12,000 different species of plants and are a natural sanctuary for native wildlife.
- The Melbourne Skydeck - the Southern Hemisphere’s highest viewing attraction where the city of Melbourne comes alive in front of your eyes when you take it all in from nearly 300 metres high.
- Walk Melbourne – A city designed for walking, there are a range of amazing walking tours of Melbourne including Aboriginal Heritage tours, foodie tours, shopping tours, street art and cultural tours.
Visitor Information Services are provided by the City of Melbourne at Station Pier.
Sightseeing Opportunities (Full Day)
- Yarra Valley, Dandenong & The Ranges - An hour's drive from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is home to Victoria's earliest vineyards. Numerous wineries provide cellar-door sales and tastings of hand-crafted wines, and have restaurants serving gourmet food and fine local produce. Also in the Yarra Valley, the Healesville Sanctuary is where you can experience close encounters with native Australian wildlife like dingos, kangaroos, wombats and platypus.
- Mornington Peninsula – The Mornington Peninsula is just over one hour’s drive from Melbourne and is renowned for its hot springs, magnificent wineries overlooking the sea, galleries and golf courses to suit everyone. Delightful seaside villages are great places to pick up local arts and crafts, food and wine.
- Bellarine Peninsula – Head west from Station Pier and just over an hour later you will be in the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula where you can take a boat trip onto the bay and enjoy fresh Portarlington Mussels taken straight from the water, or maybe sample a wine or a whisky nearby.
- Great Ocean Road - The Great Ocean Road winds westwards from the major regional city of Geelong to the South Australian border. Along with striking ocean views, the region contains laidback coastal towns and maritime villages.
- Goldfields - Grand nineteenth-century buildings grace the streetscapes of Ballarat and Bendigo, while townships like Maldon, Castlemaine and Stawell, thick with quaint shopfronts and miners' cottages, wear their goldrush heritage on their sleeves. Sovereign Hill recreates a goldmining town and the life of its people in the 1850s. Besides goldrush history and culture, the Goldfields entice with fine food and wine, outstanding art galleries and extensive parklands and gardens. For superb collections of local and European paintings, drop by two of Australia's best regional galleries - the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery and Bendigo Art Gallery.
- Gippsland is gourmet country, filled with wineries, cheese-makers growers, markets and fruit and berry farms. When you're not dining and wining, linger awhile in historic gold towns or maritime villages.
Dining (Best Restaurants for Lunch and Dinner)
- Donovans - 40 Jacka Blv, St Kilda, +61 3 9534 8221
- Flower Drum - 17 Market Lane, Melbourne,+61 3 9662 3655
- Gimlet – 33 Russell St, Melbourne, +61 3 9277 9777
- Mabu Mabu – 25/2 Swanston St, Federation Square, Melbourne, +61 3 9121 0510
- Pawa – 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
- Reine and Le Rue – 380 Collins St, Melbourne, +61 3 9280 3395
- Society – 80 Collins St, Melbourne, +61 3 8618 8900
- Vue De Monde – 55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St, Melbourne +61 3 9691 3888
Rooftop Bars
- Arbory Afloat – 2 Flinders Walk Melbourne
- Good Heavens – Level 2,79 Bourke St Melbourne
- Rooftop at QT – 11/133 Russell St Melbourne
- Transit Rooftop Bar – Level 2 Transport Hotel, Federation Square
Evening Entertainment
- Arts Centre - 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
- Crown Casino & Entertainment Complex - 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank
- His Majesty’s Theatre - 219 Exhibition St Melbourne
- Melbourne Symphony Orchestra - Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
- Princess Theatre - 163 Spring St Melbourne
- Regent Theatre - 191 Collins St Melbourne
Best Hotels (city based)
- Crown Towers
- Grand Hyatt
- Hilton
- Intercontinental Melbourne
- Le Meridien
- Park Hyatt
- QT Melbourne
- Ritz Carlton Melbourne
- Sofitel
- The W Melbourne
Best Beaches - Regional (Victorian Coastline)
- Anglesea
- Lorne
- Portsea
- Queenscliff
- Sorrento
- Torquay
Best Beaches - City (Port Phillip Bay)
- Black Rock
- Brighton
- Sandringham
- St Kilda
Golf
Melbourne has the finest collection of golf courses in Australia and several ranked in the top 10 in the world. All situated within 35 mins drive of the CBD, including The Melbourne Sandbelt: Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Victoria Golf Club, Metropolitan, Commonwealth, Yarra Yarra, Huntingdale, Peninsula Kingswood.
Tennis
- Albert Park Aquatic Centre
- Melbourne Park
Best Shopping Areas
- Chadstone - The Fashion Capital
- Collins Street
- Crown Entertainment Complex
- Emporium
- Melbourne Central
- Queen Victoria Market
- QV Melbourne
- South Melbourne Market
Art and Craft
- Alcaston Gallery
- Fitzroy Galleries
- Koorie Heritage Trust
- National Gallery of Victoria
- Queen Victoria Market
Retail Trading Hours
CBD:
- Saturday - Wednesday, 10:00am - 7:00pm
- Thursday - Friday, 10:00am - 9:00pm
Chadstone:
- Monday – Wednesday, 9:00am – 5:30pm
- Thursday – Saturday, 9:00am – 9:00pm
- Sunday, 10:00am – 7:00pm
Other shopping precincts: seven-day trading hours: 10:00am – 5:30pm
Major Events
- Australian Open Tennis Championships - January
- Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (Great Ocean Road) – January
- Formula One Grand Prix - March
- Melbourne Food & Wine Festival - March
- Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show - March
- Melbourne International Comedy Festival - April
- Rising - June
- Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (Phillip Island) - October
- Spring Racing Carnival & Melbourne Cup - November
Customs
Working hours |
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| Customs Officers | 24 hours |
| Quarantine Officials | 24 hours |
| Immigration Officials | As for Customs (Australian Border Force) |
Customs and Immigration |
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| Passenger Manifest | Three copies at the first port of call with one copy to Immigration (with the passenger cards), one copy to Australian Border Force and the third copy to remain on board the ship. |
| Embarking Passenger Manifest | 3 copies - 1 to Australian Border Force 1 to Port 1 stays onboard |
| Crew Manifest | 2 - 1 to Australian Border Force, 2nd stays onboard |
| Stores List | 2 - Australian Border Force and 1 to Port |
| Customs Declaration (Ship) | 1 - Australian Border Force |
| Customs Declaration (Crew) | 1 - Australian Border Force |
| Forms Comments | All forms listed above are produced at the first Australian port of call and then one copy of each form travels on board the ship to be produced at subsequent ports. |
| Customs Declaration (Passengers) | One at first Australian port of call only. |
Port health |
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| Health Declaration |
Through the Department of Agriculture's Maritime Arrivals Reporting System (MARS) all ships are required to submit: Pre Arrival Report and Human Health Updates
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Ground Operations
The following Ground Handlers are ACA members and supply superior ground handling services throughout Australia.
Ground Operations Links
Port Approach
Approach |
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| Refer to | Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) Operations Handbook |
Pilotage |
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| Pilotage company name | Port Phillip Sea Pilots Pty Ltd |
Port Services
Shipping Agents |
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| To view the list of Shipping Agents available at the Port of Melbourne, please click on the following link > Shipping Agents | ||
Port Operations/Services |
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Towage |
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| Are tugs available | Yes | |
| Are tugs compulsory | Yes | |
Tug operators |
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| Svitzer Australia phone | 61 3 8671 2200 | |
| Svitzer fax | 61 3 9646 0217 | |
| Ship or tug lines | Tug lines | |
| Tug working hours | 24 hours | |
Linesmen |
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| Working hours | 24 hours | |
Port Officials |
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| Working hours | 24 hours | |
Stevedoring |
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For details of suitable stevedores, please contact the Shipping Agent |
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Provedoring |
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Provedoring / stores - fresh produce and export markets are within an easy 5 km of the pier and can service a home-porting or visiting cruise ship at short notice.
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Telephones |
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| Telephones | Yes | |
| How many | Various - depending on number required. | |
| Notice required | Yes | |
Bunkering |
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| Fuel Grades | All | |
| Further Information | For more information, click here > | |
Water |
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| Fresh Water | Yes | |
| Further Information | For more information, click here > | |
Dry Garbage |
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| Dry garbage | Yes | |
| Barge alongside | N/A | |
| Containers available | Yes | |
| Further Information | For more information, click here > | |
Wet Garbage |
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| Wet garbage | Yes | |
| Ship or shore pump | Both | |
| Sludge disposal | Yes | |
| Sludge details |
Automated sewage facilities are available with direct access and conveniences into the local network. |
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Charges |
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| Port Charges | For more information, click here > | |
Repair Facilities |
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| Nearest dry dock | For more information, click here > | |
| Divers Available | Yes | |
| Engineering facilities | Yes | |
Dredging |
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| Dredging undertaken | Yes | |
| Dredging when | As required. Please click here for more information. | |
Port Operator
Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) |
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| Address | Level 5, 530 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 |
| Postal: GPO Box 261 Melbourne Victoria 3001 |
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| Telephone | +61 3 8347 8300 |
| Facsimile | +61 3 8347 8301 |
| Web Site | www.vicports.vic.gov.au |
| Email Address | cruise@vicports.vic.gov.au |
Berth Details |
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| Berth | Station Pier (3 dedicated cruise ship berths) |
| Maximum draft | Refer to Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) Operations Handbook |
| Tidal variation | Refer to Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) Operations Handbook |
| Berth length | Refer to Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) Operations Handbook |
| Guaranteed berthing for cruise ships | Yes |
| Are other ships able to dock | Yes |
| Cargo ships at dock | No |
| Security fences | Yes |
Nearest Ports |
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| Australia | Hobart |
| Nearest Overseas Port | Wellington |
Terminal
Terminal facilities |
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| Terminal building | Yes |
| Meet and Greet facilities | Yes |
| Toilet facilities | Yes |
| Telephones | Yes |
| Availability of maps and/or brochures | Yes |
| Souvenir shopping | Yes |
| Money exchange | No |
| Is the US Dollar accepted? | No |
Transport |
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| Closest airport to pier | Melbourne Airport |
| Distance to airport | 26 km |
| Transport to airport | Yes |
| Can passengers walk to city | No |
| Drive time from pier to shuttle stop | 5 - 10 minutes |
| Distance from pier to city centre | 4 km |
| Are shuttle buses necessary? | Yes |
| Suggested shuttle stop in town | Swanston Street |
| Availability of taxis at pier | Yes |
| Availability of public transport at pier | Tram |
Tour buses |
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| Distance from ship to tour buses | 10 metres |
| What is the normal coach capacity? | 50 - 60 passengers |
| Are tour buses air conditioned? | Yes |
Tourism
Tourism operators in Melbourne:
Tourism operators