When Diamond Princess pulls into Sullivan's Cove, more than 2600 people disembark, enough passengers to fill many of Tasmania's little towns a couple of times over. The huge ship, with authentic Japanese bathhouse and 19 restaurants and bars, towers over Macquarie Wharf and the views from the top deck take in the sweep of the historic harbour and the hills all the way to Mt Wellington.
There's no rush to get off the ship as we're here for an overnight stay, a luxury on a cruise holiday where eight to 10-hour port visits are the norm.
Docking at 8am, we have a good 36 hours at our disposal. Hobart is the only overnight stay during the ship's 28-night "Round Australia" itinerary, which visits 11 ports.
The southern capital will also be the only overnighter for sister ship Dawn Princess when it operates a similar circumnavigation in March 2016, while yet another sister, Golden Princess, will act as a floating hotel in Hobart during a handful of six-day cruises from early next year.
Just as at Circular Quay, most of Hobart's attractions are an easy stroll from the wharf. However, in tiny Tassie there's the added appeal of historic townships and good wineries almost on the doorstep.
We head to Richmond, which is not only home of the oldest bridge in Australia, some wonderful sandstone buildings and an infamous gaol, but also sits in the Coal River Valley, a burgeoning wine region. Those in the know say Southern Tasmania's pinot noir is up there with the best in the world and this little piece of the island has some wonderful privately-owned vineyards trying to perfect a premium pinot drop along with other cold climate favourites - riesling, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.
As it's a little early for a tipple we stroll around Richmond seeing the much-photographed bridge (built in 1823), pop into St John the Evangelist, the oldest Catholic Church in Australia, and view the solitary confinement cells at Richmond Gaol, before hitting the hooch. We have hired a mini-van for the day but there are many ways for cruise passengers to visit this charming, rather English region 20 minutes north of the port: Princess Cruises has two shore tours that also take in Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (but no winery stops); there's the privately-run Hobart Shuttle Bus, a trike tour on a souped-up motorcycle and half-day jaunts with Boutique Wine Tours of Tasmania.
At Puddleduck Vineyard they also let you Segway through the vines but we decide to taste the wares instead. Owners Darren and Jackie Brown produced their first wine, a sauvignon blanc, in 2003 and we sample that and others, working our way through small servings of the sparkling (called Bubbleduck), the popular riesling, chardonnay and the pinot, of course.
Tasmania has about 200 vineyards and produces just 0.4 per cent of all wine in Australia. But what it does produce is of the highest quality, and 40 per cent of it is pinot noir. Puddleduck grapes are grown without insecticide and we're told that the guinea fowl we see waddling through the vines do a great job of eating all the insects.
The vineyard has a "reverse BYO" dining option, which means you bring the picnic lunch and they supply the wine, or you can buy their cheese platter.
Down the road at Frogmore Creek Winery, fantastic food is on offer daily in the casual Deck, where we tuck into soft-shell crab sliders and a bucket of crispy grilled prawns with sweet chilli while sipping on their awarding-winner riesling. Set in a stunning architectural space, the cellar door and restaurants are hewn from old Oregon beams that came out as ship's ballast back in the days of the Californian gold rush. It's worth having a look in the upstairs art gallery to see a fanciful floor jigsaw of mosaics of various timbers called "the Flawed History of Tasmania Wine" for a quick visual lesson.
With plenty of time to kill – our ship's going nowhere – our driver drops us off in downtown Hobart to explore the tempting range of chocolates and cakes at the city's famous bakery, or cupcake heaven to some, Sweet Envy. From there it's a downhill walk to the port but with no need to rush a friend and I mooch around Salamanca until we spy Dave from Trikemania and his sparkling motorcycle with passenger seat for two. It doesn't take much to entice us on a 15-minute city jaunt, at times at breakneck speed, swinging through Battery Point and the city centre, for a mere $20. He has the gift of the gab and said he would have happily taken us to Richmond and the vineyards as it's one of his regular haunts. I'm not sure I could hang on that tight for that long, but it'd be fun for thrill-seekers.
Our floating hotel beckons and after a big day there's nothing quite as inviting as a nap before dinner. With 10 restaurants at our disposal but with a ghost-tour appointment to keep, the Horizon Court buffet fits the bill as the place for a quick bite where casual clothes are perfectly acceptable.
Like all ghost tours I've experienced, our ramble around the dimly-lit streets of old Hobart Town is more history-lesson than poltergeist party, although the visit to the harbour master's tower is an eerie experience, not for the ghosts but for the swaying motion we all think we feel, a little akin to the gentle roll of a ship. Our guide can't explain it either!
Our visit to Hobart would have been remiss without paying homage to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, which created a stir when it opened in early 2011 and has had almost as many reviews as The Mousetrap.
For we cruise passengers the ferry to MONA, with options of a fancy ride in the ''posh pit" with champagne and food in a private lounge ($50 a head, one-way or return) or a regular seat sans food and drink ($20 return or one-way) is a brisk stroll from the cruise terminal. With eight ferry rides a day each way, you can get there and back with plenty of time to spare.
After an action-packed 36 hours, Hobart starts to feel like home and back on deck there's still an hour to while away on a sun-lounge taking in all the harbour goings-on before the captain weighs anchor and heads north to Melbourne.
discovertasmania.com.au
Dawn Princess' 28-night Round Australia cruise has an overnight stay in Tasmania. It departs Sydney on March 9, 2016, with calls at ports including Arlie Beach, Port Douglas, Darwin, Lombok, Fremantle and Margaret River. Fares from $4399 a person, twin share.
Dawn Princess will also operate a five-night cruise from Tasmania with overnight in Hobart, departing Sydney on October 23, 2015. Fares from $1099 a person twin share.
Golden Princess will operate five and six-night cruises to Tasmania (also overnighting in Hobart) from Melbourne on January 3 and February 5, 2016. Fares from $1049 a person, twin share. See princess.com.
The following offer tours and transport to Richmond and wineries
Hobart Shuttle Bus. $30 for a 3½-hour tour. hobartshuttlebus.com
Boutique Wine Tours half-day Richmond and winery tours are $120 a person. boutiquewinetourstas.com.au
Trikemania has a thrilling ride to the vines on a motorbike carrying two passengers behind the driver. A six-hour tour is $420 a person for two. hobarts-trikemania-adventure-tours.com
MONA The museum's ferry runs regularly from Sullivan's Cove. mona.net.au
Sweet Envy is the perfect place for coffee and a cupcake. Sweetenvy.com
