Australian operator Cruise Whitsundays orders sightseeing catamaran
Cruise Whitsundays, a company under Australian tourism group Journey Beyond, has placed an order for a new sightseeing catamaran vessel to be built by Austal Vietnam.
The 36-metre vessel will be deployed year-round as a resort connection service 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, optimised for its routes and tailored to infrastructure, the new vessel will accommodate up to 390 guests – including 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 will boast a range of outdoor and indoor seating options for passengers – including an open-air upper deck that can seat up to 48 passengers and fitted with a large viewing platform. The upper deck will also be home to a crew room, an administration office, and a full-beam wheelhouse with wing stations.
The vessel’s mid-deck will feature a 36-seat first class lounge with exclusive viewpoints through large windows from the comfort of first class seating, a lounge, and a dedicated bar.
The mid-deck will also feature a premium class lounge for 64 passengers, while a further 80 passengers will have access to an undercover outdoor seating area. Other amenities will include passenger bathrooms, a buffet service area, and access to the vessel’s main deck via an internal staircase.
The main deck will be able to seat up to 160 passengers and will offer 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.
The catamaran will be powered by two Mitsubishi S16 T2MPTK engines and will boast Naiad active ride control systems for added comfort in wave heights of up to 2.5 metres.
Construction of the vessel will commence in 2026.
