
7 of the Top Chinatowns Around the World
All the saucy dumplings you can handle. Plus a few dragons.
Most passengers docking at the Melbourne Cruise Port head straight for downtown Melbourne, just 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away. Highlights of Australia’s second largest city include Queen Victoria Market, the Eureka Skydeck, and Federation Square. Group or private shore excursions typically include all of them and more, such as the Yarra River, Luna Park, and St. Kilda Beach.
Day trips abound from Melbourne too—drive down the Great Ocean Road or penguin-spot on Phillip Island. It’s also easy to reach Tasmania from Station Pier in Melbourne, as the “Spirit of Tasmania” runs regularly between Melbourne and Devonport and takes around 10 hours.
Getting from Station Pier to central Melbourne via public transport is fairly straightforward. The Route 109 tram operates between Station Pier and Melbourne city center, as does the 109 City Express bus to St. Kilda Road. Both trips take roughly 20 minutes. Taxis also operate from a dedicated rank at the port and are good alternatives for those with lots of luggage.
English is the official language in Melbourne, but you may well hear people speaking Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Arabic too. The currency is the Australian dollar and ATMs are widely available throughout the city.