For at least the third time, PS Australian Star has had its maiden voyage rescheduled.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
It’s news travellers have become all too accustomed to hearing: PS Australian Star’s maiden voyage has been rescheduled again.
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The September 21 launch ‒ at least the third confirmed departure date ‒ was supposed to be a morning of great fanfare, with Channel 9’s The Today Show set to cover the inaugural departure live from Torrumbarry.
The TV cameras will still come, but they’ll be at Torrumbarry Weir on Monday and Perricoota Station on Tuesday, with the focus shifted from the luxury vessel’s launch to the 100th anniversary of the operator’s owner APT.
Murray River Paddlesteamers said the decision to delay was made after a series of trial runs.
“We have made the decision to undertake a small number of official enhancements focused on guest comfort and the overall onboard experience,” they said.
“While the vessel has successfully met all regulatory, safety and compliance requirements, our assessment is the onboard experience is not yet at the standard we expect for our guests.”
A spokesperson for the operator told The Riv because the boat was the first of its kind in the world, the enhancements concerned “fine-tuning the vessel’s unique characteristics.”
The spokesperson said MRC had been met with a great deal of excitement from potential customers but wouldn’t answer questions on if anyone had requested refunds as a result of multiple cancellations.
PS Australian Star at Torrumbarry Weir, in July.
Photo by
Nikala Dixon
The luxury paddle steamer was initially expected to debut in late 2024, before delays pushed the launch into 2025, and subsequently, 2026.
A new launch date has been confirmed for October 5, but the constant delays are wearing on some travellers.
Neville Byrne first booked in 2025, securing tickets for a trip in March 2026.
“We got bumped from our March booking and were told they had a vacancy in April, which didn’t happen either, so we’ve put it off until August next year,” Mr Byrne said.
“It seemed like they just kept over-promising and under-delivering.
“I’ve got a bucket list to travel on all the paddle wheelers on the Murray River and the Australian Star is the last one.
“Hopefully I’ll still be alive when we’re supposed to travel next year, because I want to be able to tick it off before I kick the bucket.”
Punters’ experiences weren’t all bad though.
Geoff Gray had booked for the maiden February voyage, only to be told right as the travellers were about to board a bus to Echuca the boat had allegedly failed its ship certification.
Mr Gray said while he was disappointed, he was very impressed by APT’s response.
“They apologised profusely and told us the bus was already booked for the length of the cruise, so they could offer us an alternative experience,” he said.
“We went straight to Moama Bowls Club and had a lovely meal before three days of sightseeing around the boat’s intended route where they paid for everything.
“Within two weeks, we had a full refund, and I’d still like to cruise on the Australian Star when it’s ready.”
Mr Gray isn’t alone, and he, alongside many punters will turn their attention to October 5, hoping to finally see the Australian Star get up and running.
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