| Sydney solution “very close”: RCL

A SOLUTION for Sydney’s capacity constraints is “getting very close”, with talks of Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) contributing to the funding of a new terminal “very much on the table”, Chairman and CEO Richard Fain told CW this week.

“We have been working closely for the government and I’m not going to speak for the government, but we are hopeful that we are getting very close to a solution,” he said.

“I think we’re down now to pretty much the one choice…and we think that is actually is a very practical solution for everybody and one that is good for the economy, good for tourism and attracting the newest and best ships,” he said.

Fain emphasised Botany Bay “was perfect”, due to its close proximity to Sydney Airport.

“We were hopeful that a decision will be taken quickly because frankly, already its impinging on the logistics and our ability to bring in the newest and sexiest ships.”

Fain confirmed Royal Caribbean Cruises would be willing to work with government and help fund a terminal, as the company has done in other parts of the world – including Miami.

“Yes, it is very much on the table that we would be having that conversation,” he said.

Fain said there was no “one-size-fits-all” solution when approaching a partnership arrangement for a new terminal and that the company remained “absolutely open” and “flexible”.

Currently Royal Caribbean International (RCI) can’t bring its Oasis- or Spectrum- class vessels into Sydney Harbour, but in Sep the line flagged deployment of Oasis-class vessels was “only a matter of time” (CW 06 Sep).

Fain noted that Australia is one of the few places RCI sails to that can’t handle the Oasis class, adding “I don’t think anyone today would build a pier that wasn’t Oasis-compatible”.

“Physically, the bigger ships aren’t that much different, it’s not as if you need twice as big a berth for the larger ships, it’s actually relatively modest changes to make sure you can handle the very biggest ships out there.”