Website delays hit as people rushed to book tickets on the new Spirit of Tasmania ships today, with more than 150,000 visits to the booking page in the first half hour.
Tickets for Spirit of Tasmania IV and V went on sale at 10am today.
TT-Line chief executive Chris Carbone said the company’s booking engine usually received 2,000 visits on a normal day.
“In the first half hour after tickets were made available at 10am, the booking engine received more than 150,000 visits,” he said.
“We are delighted that the availability of new inventory attracted such strong interest, with ticket sales up almost nine times when compared to Wednesday last week.”
Carbone said the company added extra capacity to its website ahead of the sale because it expected strong interest.
“Our call centre also received a higher than usual number of calls,” he said.
“We thank our passengers for their patience and look forward to welcoming them on board in the future.”
Customers had told Pulse they could not get onto the website and were being directed to a phone number with an automated message asking them to call back later due to the volume of calls.
The Spirit of Tasmania’s website told customers it was “experiencing some delays” due to what it called “unprecedented demand” for tickets on the two new ships.
Passenger and vehicle fares both start from $49, with cabin upgrades from $125.
Family cabins, recliners and the new pet cabins also went on sale, with travellers able to book up to 12 months ahead.
The two ships have 40% more capacity than the current vessels, along with 301 cabins and more than three times the room for caravans.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff this week urged people to take a look.
“We welcomed 1.4 million visitors in the year ending March 2026 and the new ships will support future growth in the tourism industry,” Rockliff said.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said the ships were “a gateway to Tasmania, with visitors treated to a range of exciting features onboard that celebrate our landscapes, produce, stories, artists and makers”.
The ships also carry 45 climate-controlled kennels, 18 pet-friendly cabins and an outdoor deck for animals.
Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V will make their first passenger sailings on October 31, departing from Geelong and Devonport.
