Final touches are being put on the Spirit of Tasmania terminal at Devonport ahead of the first sailing of the new vessels on October 31.
Work on the terminal building is largely complete, with its IT systems, communications network and commissioning still being finalised.
The fifth vessel will arrive in the Mersey River this weekend for final commissioning.
The terminal was built by Tasmanian company VOS Construction and Joinery, with more than 300 workers and subcontractors involved over the life of the Devonport project.
The building features Tasmanian timber in its structure, fit-out and furniture, along with ochre red bricks produced at Longford and Tasmanian oak seating fabricated outside Launceston.
The berth project was originally costed at $90 million before being revised to $493 million, with the wider ferry replacement program running years late.
TT-Line was given a $506 million government bailout in the May state budget to cover past capital cost overruns.
The government says the new ships will increase freight capacity by 40%.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said staff training, signage and systems were still being finalised.
“There’s still a lot of finishing touches to do in commissioning the buildings and the site ready for the ships,” Vincent said.
Asked whether the terminal build was on time and on budget, Vincent said it was.
“It’s been time to turn the page and look ahead for well over 12 months now,” he said.
Vincent conceded the project would leave Tasmanians with debt for years and said he would have done things differently.
“If you look at it as an individual project, you will always ask yourself questions on that debt level and would you have done things differently,” he said.
“That’s not my situation that I’ve inherited and working through.”
VOS representative Kieran Rimmelzwaan said the program had been accelerated and intense.
“Yes, but we went into it with our eyes open,” he said, when asked whether the company felt pressure to deliver.
TT-Line CEO Chris Carbone said the inaugural sailings were locked in.
“We’re absolutely on track for our first sailings, 31 October,” Carbone said.
Carbone said 150,000 people tried to book in the first 30 minutes after the booking website went live, describing the problems that followed as a small glitch.
He said demand had been strong for pet cabins and business class recliners.