Luxury liner on Sunshine Coast Quest

The Sunshine Coast is fast establishing itself as a highly attractive cruise ship destination with the latest visitor to arrive for its maiden stopover on Sunday.

In the wake of rave reviews from P&O cruise ship passengers, boutique luxury cruise ship Azamara Quest will drop anchor off Mooloolaba on its east coast of Australia cruise.

The five-star cruise line is part of the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise group.

Mayor Mark Jamieson said the stopover was part of a 10-day cruise from Cairns to Sydney.

“The Azamara Quest is a luxury cruise ship that will carry 680 passengers and 450 crew,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Its arrival here on January 10 will provide another great boost for local businesses and tourism operators who have done a tremendous job in rolling out the red carpet for Pacific Pearl and Pacific Eden passengers during recent stopovers.”

Mayor Jamieson will present a plaque to the captain of Azamara Quest to commemorate its inaugural visit.

Hot on the heels of the Azamara Quest, another international cruise ship, the ‘MS Amsterdam’ will make a scheduled visit on Saturday, February 13.

The MS Amsterdam is part of the Holland America Cruise Line which is part of the Carnival Group and its stopover in February will be part of a 46-night trip from Sydney to Dubai.

Cruise ship stopover dates for the Sunshine Coast in 2016 include:

• January 10 – Azamara Quest
• February 13 – MS Amsterdam
• March 19 – Pacific Jewel
• May 11 – Pacific Jewel
• June 15 – Pacific Aria
• June 27 – Pacific Jewel
• August 10 – Pacific Jewel
• August 16 – Carnival Spirit
• September 4– Pacific Pearl