Busselton is a tender port in Western Australia’s South West, where ships anchor out in Geographe Bay and everyone comes ashore by tender boat onto the historic Busselton Jetty. There’s no terminal building to speak of, just a boardwalk across the sand to Busselton Foreshore, a five minute walk from the town centre.
Busselton sits about 220 kilometres south of Perth, and a call here is often tacked onto a short run from Fremantle, a leg of coastline that takes just a few hours to cover. Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Azamara have all dropped anchor here, alongside regular visits from P&O Cruises.
Where Do Cruise Ships Dock in Busselton?
Geographe Bay is too shallow for big ships to pull up to a quay, so they anchor offshore and everyone gets tendered in, a tender being the small boat that shuttles people between ship and shore. It’s the one detail most first time visitors miss before they turn up.
There’s No Busselton Cruise Terminal, Just a Jetty and a Boardwalk
Tenders drop you at the Cruise Landing Jetty, known locally as the swim jetty, which is part of the wider Busselton Jetty structure. From there a temporary boardwalk runs across the sand, so nobody ends up with a shoe full of it, straight onto Busselton Foreshore.
That stretch of foreshore does the job of a cruise port for the day, even though it’s really just the town’s main beach. The lighthouse shaped Visitor Information Centre sits right there, and Queen Street, the main shopping strip, is an easy five minute walk away, tucked between the beach and the Vasse River.
Is There a Cruise Ship in Busselton Today?
Nobody runs a live ship tracker for Busselton, so the best way to check what’s coming in is the published arrivals calendar from the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA), the local tourism body that coordinates cruise arrivals with the City of Busselton and local operators.
In a typical season four cruise lines and five ships call here, with around 57 visits recorded over a 12 month period, and roughly 40% of ships arrive around 9am. On the busiest days as many as 3,090 passengers have come ashore at once, so the foreshore and jetty get considerably livelier when more than one ship is in. MRBTA figures show cruise ships have brought over 15,000 passengers and more than 8,000 crew to Busselton across seventeen calls in a single season.
Busselton Cruise Ship Schedule: Confirmed Upcoming Calls
Schedules shift as cruise lines tweak their itineraries, and no single source lists every confirmed Busselton call in one place, so treat what follows as a guide rather than a guarantee.
| Ship | Cruise line | Approx. passengers | Scheduled call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Princess | Princess Cruises | Around 3,674 | Mid October, evening arrival |
| Oceania Riviera | Oceania Cruises | Around 1,447 | Early January, afternoon arrival |
| MS Europa 2 | Hapag-Lloyd Cruises | Around 516 | Mid February, evening arrival, maiden call for this ship |
Busselton is just one of several Western Australian ports sharing a busy season, with more than 140 cruise visits scheduled across the state’s ports, including Albany, Broome, Busselton, Dampier, Esperance, Exmouth, Fremantle and Geraldton. For the bigger picture, our Western Australia cruise ship ports guide covers how Busselton fits alongside calls further north at the Exmouth, Western Australia cruise port guide.
Getting Around Busselton
Busselton is flat and compact, which is good news if your time ashore is limited. The main shopping, cafe and dining strip is five to twenty minutes on foot, roughly two to seven blocks, from where the tender lands.
- Walk: Queen Street and the town centre are an easy stroll from the foreshore. Most people won’t need a shuttle at all.
- City Hopper bus: a free shuttle runs from 10am to 3pm, but it’s only really guaranteed for larger ships carrying more than 1,000 passengers, and the route shifts around each ship’s schedule.
- TransBusselton: the regional bus network runs three routes Monday to Saturday, linking Geographe in the north to Dunsborough in the south, though it’s timed around school hours rather than ship arrivals.
- Regional coaches: South West Coachlines runs express services to Margaret River, Transwa covers wider regional rail and coach links, and Swan Transit connects Busselton with the Dunsborough cruise ship port guide area.
Like most regional Western Australia, public transport here covers the main routes and nothing more, so don’t bank on it for a tight schedule. A tour or private transfer is the safer bet for anything beyond the town centre. No operator currently publishes accessibility details for the tender operation itself, so anyone needing mobility assistance should confirm arrangements with their cruise line before sailing. Given how much of a Busselton day happens on foot, a pair of comfortable, well cushioned walking shoes earns their keep.
Busselton Jetty, the Jetty Train and the Underwater Observatory
At 1,841 metres, Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, and it’s as much a part of the port day as the town itself. The original port closed sometime in the early 1970s, and sources differ on exactly when cruise ships started coming back, but the welcome from the City of Busselton, MRBTA and the local community is well established and warm in a way that’s hard to fake.
The solar powered Jetty Train runs the length of the jetty at a gentle 6km/h, carrying 90 passengers on the 1.7 kilometre trip out to the Underwater Observatory. There, a viewing chamber 8 metres below the surface gives you a look at the marine life of Geographe Bay, one of only six operating underwater observatories in the world.
Busselton Australia Cruise Excursions: Making the Most of a Few Hours Ashore
With only a few hours ashore, most people pick between the jetty, the beach, or a trip inland to wine country.
- Ride the Jetty Train out to the Underwater Observatory for a look beneath Geographe Bay without getting your feet wet.
- Head to the Margaret River wine region, about 50 kilometres south along Bussell Highway, a 40 to 50 minute drive, for some of the country’s best Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Join a whale watching trip if the season allows, a highlight that Cruise Critic rates highly.
- Swim in the clear waters of Geographe Bay, though stinging jellyfish turn up occasionally, so a lightweight rash guard isn’t a bad idea.
- Browse the foreshore on ship days, when it turns into something close to a fairground, with actors in period costume, vintage car displays, a mobile rock climbing wall, and bike or Segway hire.
It clearly leaves a mark. MRBTA survey data shows that while 76.78% of cruise passengers had never visited the region before, 92% said they’d come back because of what they found ashore.
Practical Tips for Your Day Ashore
ATMs are in the Visitor Information Centre right by the swim jetty and along Queen Street, handy since not every small operator in town takes cards. Busselton Foreshore itself has playgrounds, barbecue facilities, picnic areas, toilets, showers and pathways for walking or cycling, so it’s a comfortable spot to wait if your tender time lands later in the day.
Common Questions
Do cruise ships dock directly in Busselton?
No. Geographe Bay is too shallow for ships to berth, so they anchor offshore and everyone’s brought ashore by tender onto Busselton Jetty.
Where exactly do tenders drop passengers in Busselton?
At the Cruise Landing Jetty, also called the swim jetty, with a boardwalk leading straight onto Busselton Foreshore, the town’s main beach.
Is there a shuttle bus from the jetty into town?
Only guaranteed for larger ships carrying over 1,000 passengers. The free City Hopper bus runs 10am to 3pm, and the route shifts around each ship’s schedule.
How far is Margaret River wine country from the ship?
About 50 kilometres, roughly a 40 to 50 minute drive south along Bussell Highway.
Can I walk into Busselton town from the cruise landing?
Yes. Busselton is flat and compact, and Queen Street is about a five minute walk from the foreshore.
Are there ATMs near where the ship tenders in?
Yes, in the Visitor Information Centre on the foreshore and along Queen Street, Busselton’s main shopping strip.
What should swimmers watch out for in Geographe Bay?
Occasional stinging jellyfish. The beaches are lovely, but check local conditions before you go in.
How many cruise ships call at Busselton each year?
Around 57 visits over a 12 month period from roughly four cruise lines, though numbers and ships vary season to season.
Why Trust About2Cruise
About2Cruise builds every port guide from official and operator sources, cross checking details like tender arrangements, local transport and opening patterns rather than leaning on a single site. We haven’t sailed into Busselton ourselves, and we won’t pretend otherwise, but we do check what we publish against bodies such as the City of Busselton and MRBTA. You can read more about how About2Cruise researches its guides.
Last Updated: 5 October 2026