New Spirit of Tasmania vessel to begin passenger service next month

Captain Doug Harrower has been at the helm of the Spirit of Tasmania for 14 years. His eyes sparkle when we pass on Deck 5 of the long-awaited Spirit IV, which will make waves when it welcomes passengers from October 31 following a three-year build.

“The Spirit I and II were fantastic ships, but we’ve outgrown those, and we now have these modern ships that we’re very much looking forward to getting back and forth across the Bass Strait,” he says.

The new ships were purpose-built to reflect decades of learnings from this uniquely challenging body of water and the more than 430,000 people who travel aboard annually.

Each ship is 17 metres longer and four metres taller than its predecessors, with room for 470 more passengers to a total capacity of 1800 guests ,and up to five times more caravan space.

From swanky lounges and an outdoor sports bar, to leather-clad premium recliners reminiscent of flying business class, local photography and a Tasmanian-centric supplier list, the vessels celebrate the state’s best from the moment guests board.

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“We’ve tried really hard to reflect Tasmania as a destination in all ways,” says Tom Wootton, general manager of retail and hospitality. “You can sit by the windows with a bottle of Tasmanian pinot and away you go.”

Spaces are brighter and wider, with timber-inspired panelling, large portholes, floor-to-ceiling windows, and hallways that cater to diverse accessibility needs.

Perhaps the most hotly anticipated upgrade are the dedicated pet-friendly cabins, which have four retractable bunks and space for four humans and two dogs.

Less touted are the all-abilities cabins, designed in consultation with Equality Building to include cavities for Hoyer lifts and in-room fridges for medications; family cabins for up to six people; and the deluxe recliners, which reach a fully supine pitch, have USB chargers and offer a wider seat base than the standard.

The Cradle Lounge, in shades of mossy green and granite-inspired grey, is slated to circulate Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra music while serving Coal River Farm camembert and warmed Wattle Hill olives; the Mersey Cafe will churn early morning coffees and offer handmade Tasmanian scallop pies; and the Maatsuyker Bar will pair hot-honey wings with live sports, while an improved pizza oven will turn out family-size pizzas.

The buffet component of Tasmanian Market Kitchen (TMK) is gone and in its place is a “market experience”, with stations for pre-plated seafood, salads, slow-cooked meats, sides and “World Kitchen” dishes. (The mini pavlovas, topped with rockmelon cubes and fat Tasmanian berries, follow a Barilla Bay oyster plate, slow-cooked Cape Grim short rib and truffled mash nicely.)

Harrower recommends perching in TMK for Victorian departures, where wider windows open up new sight lines: “From Geelong, [the view out over the bow] is going to be even better because you’ll be able to see the lights of the channel for about an hour and a half.”

The Visitor Information hub has expanded, and the Huon Bar – an experiential area tucked away on Deck 8 with a 2.5-metre-long Huon pine table – is free for Tasmanian businesses to book to showcase their food, wares or services.

Two cinemas will show family-friendly flicks and Tasmanian-made short films. You’ll walk past linocuts and displays from the Tasmanian Philatelic Society as well as arcade games, claw machines and four Xbox stations en route.

Safety-wise, IV and V are oceans ahead, with improved stabilisation technology and a Safe Return to Port qualification. To earn the designation, the ships were designed with double all the essential infrastructure – two bridges, two engine rooms and two fuel tanks – so they’re equipped to be their own lifeboats in case of emergencies when one system might be impacted.

These back-ups provide complete operational redundancies so the ship can look after itself, says general manager of marine operations Dick Hall.

Fares start at $49.

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