TheScottish801 · CC BY 4.0 · edited
Spirit of Tasmania said on 15 September 2026 that it would open extra sailing capacity and accommodation the next morning on Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V, ahead of inaugural passenger sailings on 31 October 2026. The operator’s media release names 10am on Wednesday 16 September as the inventory drop, and its homepage now lists those tickets on sale, with pet-friendly cabins, family cabins, and business recliners in the mix.
If you are moving a car, caravan, or family across Bass Strait this southern summer, the booking window is already open, and the first passenger sailings are six weeks out. Start from the cruise planning hub if you still need a Bass Strait versus fly-drive frame, then book on the operator site rather than waiting for a second “launch day” email.
- Ships: Spirit of Tasmania IV and V open for passenger bookings, with first sailings on 31 October 2026.
- Inventory: Extra cabins and capacity went live at 10am on 16 September 2026, including pet, family, and accessible cabins.
- Route: The live booking form still runs Geelong, Victoria, to Devonport, Tasmania, in both directions.
- Capacity: Official figures are 301 cabins, about 470 more passengers per sailing, and more than three times the caravan space.
- Book: Passengers can book up to 12 months ahead at book.spiritoftasmania.com.au.
October 31 Is the First Passenger Sailing Date
The dated decision is simple. Spirit of Tasmania’s 15 September media release ties the new ships to inaugural passenger sailings on 31 October 2026 and to an inventory release at 10am the following day. That inventory is now live. You do not need to wait for a ribbon-cutting photo to hold a cabin or a vehicle slot.
CEO Chris Carbone called 16 September a milestone for opening bookings on both ships and preparing to welcome passengers for the first time. Premier Jeremy Rockliff framed IV and V as a new era for Bass Strait passenger and freight travel. Those quotes confirm the political and operator intent. They do not change the sailing date or the booking URL.
The Canberra Times first-look report, published 15 September and syndicated the same day, independently describes the Finnish-built sisters as 212-metre ships on the nine- to 11-hour Geelong to Devonport run. Use that piece for the onboard walk-through. Use the operator release for the 31 October start and the 16 September inventory drop.
Cabins, Pets, and Caravan Space on the New Ships
The release is specific about what changed in the booking catalog. From 16 September, passengers can book pet-friendly cabins, family cabins, and business recliners, plus accessible cabins among the 301-cabin count. Business recliners are the middle product for people who want more than a seat and less than a cabin. Pet cabins are the product for anyone who used to leave the dog in a kennel on the vehicle deck.
Vehicle math is the other reason to act now. The operator says the new ships carry more than three times the previous caravan capacity, and Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Kingston Clark said greater capacity is meant to let people bring a car, caravan, or bikes and move at their own pace. If your Tasmania plan is a camper on the island, this is the inventory that used to sell out first on the older ships.
Spirit’s homepage currently advertises adult fares from $49. The Canberra Times reports passenger fares from $49, vehicle fares from $49, and cabin upgrades from $125. Treat those as starting prices on the live booking engine, not a guaranteed quote for 31 October or peak January. Check the fare on the date you actually need before you lock a caravan length.
Onboard Spaces Built Around Tasmanian Produce
The ships are sold as part of the holiday, not as a night to sleep through. Official highlights include Tasmanian Market Kitchen with five food stalls, Mersey Café and Bar, Maatsuyker Bar with an undercover outdoor deck, Cradle Lounge, and Huon Lounge for a Tassie Showcase program that brings producers onboard. The Canberra Times walk-through also notes a Hollywood cinema, a Tasmanian short-film lounge, arcades, and Tourism Tasmania photo walls with location markers.
That onboard list matters if you are choosing cabin versus recliner. A night sailing is long enough to use the restaurants. A day sailing still needs a lounge plan for kids and pets. Accessible cabins and widened passages are in the operator copy after consultation with disability advocates, per the Times report. Confirm the accessible cabin type in the booking engine rather than assuming every “accessible” label is roll-in.
If you are still weighing a fly-drive Tasmania trip against the ferry, put the ship night on a month by month Australia timing page next to Bass Strait weather. October 31 is late spring in Tasmania. The first sailings are not a winter crossing, but Bass Strait remains a rough stretch. Pack as if the nine- to 11-hour window can move.
Booking Geelong to Devonport Without Guessing the Old Ships
The live booking path is book.spiritoftasmania.com.au, with origin fields for Geelong and Devonport. Do not book a Melbourne Station Pier mental map. The Victorian terminal for this service is Geelong. Devonport remains the Tasmanian terminal. If a third-party package still says Melbourne, stop and match the operator form.
You can book up to 12 months ahead. That is the planning clock: lock October 31 or early November if you need a caravan slot, then decide later whether to add a cabin. Freight and passenger growth is the operator’s stated reason for the extra 470 people per sailing. Your reason is simpler. The old Spirits I and II inventory is not the catalog you are buying.
Spirit of Tasmania IV is already a real hull. Delivery photography shows the ship arriving at Leith in 2024. V has been in Australian waters through 2026 on the operator’s own ship-update releases. The traveler question is no longer “will they arrive.” It is whether your date, vehicle length, and cabin type are still open on the 31 October opening week.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Need a car or caravan in Tasmania after 31 October | Book IV or V now. Caravan space is the scarce product on the new ships. |
| Want a cabin, pet cabin, or business recliner | Use the inventory that opened 16 September. Those products were not on I and II. |
| Are flexible on the exact night | Compare 31 October with the following week before you pay peak cabin rates. |
| Still hold a booking on the older ships | Check the operator account. Do not assume I and II dates move onto IV and V. |
16 September 2026 was the inventory gate. Extra cabins and vehicle space are already in the booking engine. Search live availability rather than waiting for another press release.
31 October 2026 is the first passenger sailing. If you need to be in Tasmania that weekend with a vehicle, this is the sailing to hold or the week to avoid if you want a quieter crossing.
Twelve months is the booking horizon. Lock the scarce vehicle length first, then upgrade the cabin later if the fare still works.
When do Spirit of Tasmania IV and V start carrying passengers?
Spirit of Tasmania says inaugural passenger sailings are on 31 October 2026. Extra accommodation inventory opened at 10am on 16 September 2026.
Can I book a pet cabin or a caravan on the new ships?
Yes. The operator opened pet-friendly cabins, family cabins, business recliners, and more than three times the previous caravan capacity as part of the 16 September inventory drop.
What route do the new ships use?
The live booking form is Geelong, Victoria, to Devonport, Tasmania. Do not treat Melbourne’s Station Pier as the terminal for this service.
Where do I book, and how far ahead?
Book at book.spiritoftasmania.com.au, up to 12 months in advance. Starting fares on the operator homepage are advertised from $49 for adults; check the engine for your date.
