Crown Princess has arrived at Melbourne’s Station Pier, signalling the launch of Victoria’s 2026/27 cruise season.
The announcement also confirms Princess Cruises will return to Melbourne as a seasonal homeport in 2028/29, expecting to generate an estimated $40 million in economic benefit for Victoria.
Matthew Rutherford, Princess Cruises’ Vice President Asia Pacific, said the return to Melbourne reflects the long-standing connection between Princess and Victoria.
“We know how much our Victorian guests value being able to start their holiday closer to home, and we have heard loud and clear they have missed having a Princess ship based in Melbourne,” Mr Rutherford added.
“Today’s arrival of Crown Princess marks the start of what promises to be an exciting summer cruise season for Victoria and highlights the important role cruising plays in supporting local tourism, businesses and communities.
“We’re thrilled to kickstart what will be an incredible summer for Princess, the cruise industry and so many businesses that rely on its benefits.”
Above: Captain Lesic, Crown Princess
Carrying 3,080 guests and 1,200 crew, Crown Princess is expected to bring an economic boom to local retailers and tourism operators.
The ship’s guests will enjoy everything the cultural capital has to offer as part of its 28-day ‘Round Australia’ voyage, with scheduled port calls to Adelaide, Albany, Fremantle, Broome, the Kimberley Coast, Darwin and Brisbane before returning to Sydney.
Across Princess Cruises’ Australian 2026-27 season, the line will operate 62 departures across 42 unique itineraries.
“The enthusiasm we continue to see from Victorian cruisers reinforces our confidence in the market and our commitment to offering more opportunities for guests to sail with Princess in the years ahead.”
Cruise ship visits to Victorian destinations generated approximately $219 million in expenditure during the 2024-25 cruising season, supporting local businesses across the state.
The contribution forms part of the broader economic impact of cruise tourism, with a new report from the Australian Paddock to Port Alliance finding cruise lines contributed $7.32 billion to the Australian economy last financial year and directly supported 22,720 jobs.
The 2026-27 season gives Australian guests a broad range of Princess cruise holiday options, spanning short coastal getaways and longer voyages across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Crown Princess will be joined by Royal Princess, Grand Princess and Coral Princess over the season ahead.
Royal Princess will return to her Sydney homeport for her third season Down Under, while Grand Princess will be Australia’s next year-round Princess ship.
Coral Princess will visit as part of her World Cruise from Fort Lauderdale, bringing 2,000 international guests to Australia and New Zealand.
Princess Cruises will unveil its entire 2028/29 Australia Summer Program, including return Melbourne homeport season, on October 28 with the itineraries on sale November 11.
