Cruise Whitsundays orders new Incat Crowther resort ferry

Image: Incat Crowther

Incat Crowther has been commissioned by Cruise Whitsundays, part of Australian tourism group Journey Beyond, to design a new, state-of-the-art passenger vessel. Incat Crowther’s scope of work includes the vessel design, tender process for the construction and advice on procurement and commercial processes. The new 36-meter vessel will be built by Austal Vietnam.

The vessel will be deployed year-round as a resort connection ferry between Airlie Beach, the resorts of Daydream Island and Hamilton Island and Cruise Whitsundays’ Reef World pontoons – located 39 nautical miles from shore at Hardy Reef.

Designed specifically for local conditions, optimized for its routes and tailored to infrastructure, the new vessel will accommodate up to 390 guests – including in 10 wheelchair-accessible spaces – and will travel at speeds of 25 knots at low engine loading offering high reliability and efficiency.

The multi-deck vessel offers a range of outdoor and indoor seating options for Cruise Whitsundays’ passengers – including an open-air upper deck that can seat up to 48 passengers and a large viewing platform. The upper deck is also home to a crew room, administration office and a full width wheelhouse with wing stations.

The vessel’s mid-deck features a 36-seat first class lounge with exclusive viewpoints through large windows from the comfort of first class seating, a lounge and dedicated bar. The mid-deck also features a premium class lounge for 64 passengers, while a further 80 passengers have access to an undercover outdoor seating area. It also features passenger bathrooms, a buffet service area and access to the vessel’s main deck via an internal staircase.

The main deck can seat up to 160 passengers and offers a large buffet service area and separate bar, a spacious galley with cold and dry food storage areas, a first aid room and three bathrooms, including one wheelchair accessible bathroom.

Dan Mace, technical manager of Incat Crowther said: “We’re excited to be working on this vessel, which Cruise Whitsundays has specified needs to be fully focused on providing a world class tourism experience while optimizing operational flexibility, reliability and safety.”

Sture Myrmell, COO at Journey Beyond said: “With demand continuing to grow, Cruise Whitsundays required an experienced team to help us expand our fleet. Incat Crowther’s deep knowledge of the local conditions and track record of delivering tailored vessels for similar operators here in Australia and around the world were some of the key reasons we chose to partner with them on this project. Incat Crowther’s end-to-end service also means we have confidence that they will partner with us along every step of the way, from design to construction and operation. We’re excited to be working with Incat Crowther and Austal Vietnam and can’t wait to see the boat hit the water.”

The new vessel will be powered by two Mitsubishi S16 T2MPTK engines and will be equipped with Naiad active ride control systems for added comfort in wave heights of up to 2.5-meters.

Austal Limited (ASX: AS) said that the shipbuilding contract is worth in the range of AUD14 million to AUD 16 million. Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg said the contract was awarded following a competitive tender process,

“This new commercial contract highlights the capability of Austal’s commercial shipyards and effective collaboration with both customers and industry partners,” said Gregg. “We’re delighted Cruise Whitsundays has selected Austal to deliver this important new vessel for their fleet, offering an exceptional experience for their passengers and crew.”

“Following outstanding progress on the 71-meter steel monohull RO/RO passenger ferry Dory 2 for the Degage Group in French Polynesia, Austal Vietnam is ready to commence construction on this exciting new vessel for Cruise Whitsundays,” Gregg continued. “The Austal team in Vung Tau has quickly established a reputation for quality, safety, efficiency and innovation and look forward to collaborating with both Incat Crowther and Cruise Whitsundays on the delivery of this vessel. “Our sincere thanks go to Cruise Whitsundays for their business and trust in the Austal team.”

Construction on the new vessel will take place during the 2026 calendar year.

• Technical particulars.