{
  "id": 7685423,
  "title": "Website crashes due to demand for Spirit of Tasmania bookings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/website-crashes-due-to-demand-for-spirit-of-tasmania-bookings",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T02:07:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-16/spirit-of-tasmania-website-crash-extra-tickets-released/107158366"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Spirit of Tasmania booking system crashed following the release of tickets for the new ferries IV and V. Highly anticipated, the tickets went live at 10am but users were placed in a queue due to high demand. By 11am, bookings could be viewed but not completed, resulting in an error message. This issue occurred despite the fact that previously, ticket sales were limited to the capacity of the older Spirit ships and only up to June 6, 2027. The newfound release featured increased capacity on previously sold-out sailings, cheaper fares, and the first tickets for pet-friendly cabins. The Spirit IV and V are scheduled to commence sailing in the Bass Strait from October 31, marking a new era after years of delays and cost overruns. The new ships will accommodate 301 cabins, 470 additional passengers, and triple the capacity for caravans. TT-Line's CEO, Chris Carbone, described the development as a new chapter. The government minister, Jo Palmer, expressed delight at the high demand for tickets, calling it wonderful to see the significant interest in the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries. While the system's stability remains a concern, the excitement surrounding the launch is evident.",
  "summary": "Additional capacity for the long-awaited new Spirit of Tasmania ferries was released this morning, with high demand crashing the website.",
  "key_points": [
    "Spirit of Tasmania booking system crashed due to high demand for new ferries IV and V tickets.",
    "Tickets released at 10am, but users faced queue and error message by 11am.",
    "New ferries will have increased capacity, cheaper fares, and pet-friendly cabins."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The website crash indicates that excitement over the Spirit of Tasmania's new ferries and their added capacity, cheaper fares, and pet-friendly cabins outweighs the booking system's ability to handle demand.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}