BlaakLane.com books Brisbane International Cruise Terminal transfers at a fixed fare shown before you confirm. Select BICT, Brisbane Airport, a hotel or a Gold Coast address, add the ship name and choose a vehicle. A vetted Brisbane affiliate drives. The airport to BICT is usually only 10-15 minutes; the CBD is 25-40 minutes and the Gold Coast about 75-100 minutes.
Booking a Brisbane cruise terminal transfer
Enter the trip on this page or on book: pickup, drop-off, date and time, and passengers and cases. Add the ship name, because a few smaller ships still use the older Portside Wharf at Hamilton. The fare you accept is fixed for the trip, whether the route uses the Gateway Motorway or Airport Link.
Your Brisbane trip is driven by a vetted affiliate operator from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, contracted to the BlaakLane.com written standard, with the Toronto desk on call 24/7. The confirmation gives the operator and chauffeur by name.
About the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal
The Brisbane International Cruise Terminal (BICT) opened in 2020 at Luggage Point, Pinkenba, on the northern bank near the mouth of the Brisbane River. It was built so that the largest ships no longer have to anchor or use industrial wharves, and it has a single large terminal with check-in, border processing, baggage halls and a forecourt for cars, taxis and coaches. It is run by the Port of Brisbane.
Portside Wharf at Hamilton, upriver and closer to the city, still takes some smaller ships. Your documents name the terminal.
Lines and the Brisbane season
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity and other lines homeport or call in Brisbane, mainly on South Pacific, Queensland coast and New Zealand itineraries. The season runs most strongly from about October to April, though Brisbane has sailings in most months. School holidays are the busiest periods.
Embarkation at BICT
The chauffeur follows the airport-side roads to the terminal and stops at the private-vehicle set-down on the forecourt. Porters take tagged luggage. Because BICT is so close to the airport, some passengers fly in on the morning of sailing; if you do, choose an early flight and keep your check-in window in mind. From the CBD, allow 25-40 minutes via the Clem7 or the Gateway; from Hamilton or Ascot, 15-20 minutes.
Disembarkation: the ground transport forecourt
After border processing and baggage reclaim, arrivals exit to the ground transport forecourt, where taxis, coaches and pre-booked cars wait in separate zones. Your chauffeur waits in the pre-booked area. Book for your disembarkation group time plus 30 minutes; 15 minutes of waiting from the booked time are included, then 15-minute blocks.
When you have your cases, call or text the chauffeur. A name board at the exit is the meet and greet add-on; add-ons are only available in selected locations.
Brisbane Airport and the Gold Coast
| Route | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Airport (BNE) Domestic or International to BICT | about 6-8 km | 10-15 min |
| BICT to Brisbane CBD | about 20 km | 25-40 min |
| BICT to South Bank or Queen's Wharf | about 22 km | 30-40 min |
| BICT to Gold Coast (OOL) | about 110 km | 75-100 min |
| BICT to Noosa, Sunshine Coast | about 150 km | 1 h 45-2 h |
At Brisbane Airport the chauffeur tracks your flight and waits 60 minutes free after an international landing and 30 minutes after a domestic one; the domestic and international terminals are a few minutes apart. The short distance makes same-day flights practical: allow two and a half to three hours for a domestic departure after the ship docks, and three and a half for international. Many passengers from the Gold Coast fly into Gold Coast Airport. Brisbane Airport posts terminal details.
Staying in Brisbane before or after sailing
Few hotels are near the terminal, which is surrounded by port land and the airport precinct. Most passengers stay in the city: The Calile in Fortitude Valley, the W Brisbane and the hotels of the Queen's Wharf precinct on the river, Emporium South Bank, or hotels near Eagle Street Pier. All are 25-40 minutes from BICT. Airport hotels suit an early flight on disembarkation day.
Port-day tours from BICT
With an hourly chauffeur, three hours minimum:
- Koalas and the river. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, then Mount Coot-tha lookout and the city's riverside.
- Sunshine Coast. Australia Zoo is about 1 hour 15 minutes north; add the Glass House Mountains or Noosa on a long day.
- Gold Coast. Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads and the hinterland at Mount Tamborine.
- City and South Bank. The Queensland Museum and gallery precinct and a walk along the river.
Visit Brisbane and Queensland tourism list attractions and events. For other tour ideas, see city tours and day trips.
Local driving and tolls
Australia drives on the left. Brisbane's toll roads include the Gateway Motorway bridge, Airport Link and the Clem7 and Legacy Way tunnels. Summer storms can slow traffic suddenly, and Australia's biosecurity rules apply to arriving passengers, who should declare food and plant material.
Choosing the right vehicle
| Party | Class |
|---|---|
| Two guests | Standard Sedan or Luxury Executive Sedan |
| Two guests, special occasion | Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach) |
| Family of up to six | Standard Black SUV or Executive Black SUV |
| Up to twelve | Sprinter Van |
| Up to seven, hand luggage | Sprinter Luxury Jet Van |
| Up to fourteen celebrating | Party Bus |
See the fleet for the 9 classes.
Fare and cancellation
The fare covers the vehicle, the chauffeur, GST and waiting allowance; child seats are free on request. Cancel free of charge more than 72 hours before pickup. Within 72 hours the fee is 10 %, within 48 hours 50 %, and within 24 hours or for a no-show 100 %. Pricing is set out on rates, and our services and cruise lines and ports cover everything else. The Brisbane and Gold Coast pages cover the region, and the Sydney OPT guide helps on coastal cruises.
