WESTERN Australia is preparing to welcome the return of international cruising with a wave of large cruise ships scheduled to call the state’s ports before end of this year.
From 1 October, cruise vessels with a capacity of more than 350 guests and crew will be permitted to visit Western Australia.
Coral Princess will be the first large cruise ship to visit the state since the pandemic brought Australia’s cruise industry to a halt. It has been two and a half years since a cruise ship of this size has visited the west coast.
The Western Australian government said the arrival of Coral Princess in Fremantle on 28 October will flag a bumper few months of cruise travel, with more than 10,000 passengers expected to visit the state between October and December.
Ports minister Rita Saffioti said the cruise industry had been a significant driver for the economy in Fremantle as well as in regional communities such as Albany, Esperance and Broome.
“COVID-19 presented significant challenges for the cruising industry, but I know all of our port authorities have been working hard to prepare for the return of cruise ships later this year,” Ms Saffioti said.
“We’ve undertaken significant upgrades in preparation for the return of cruise ships, including the replacement of escalators and lifts at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal.”
Following the return of Coral Princess, the state anticipates visits from Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, Oceania Cruises’ Regatta, Holland America Line’s Noordam, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Muse and Azamara Cruises’ Azamara Quest.
Ports in Broome, Fremantle, Busselton, Albany, Geraldton, Exmouth and Esperance are all expected to welcome large cruise ships throughout the upcoming cruise season.
“We have already seen the safe return of expedition cruise operations in WA, with the Kimberley cruise season proving to be a success and boosting the local tourism industry,” tourism minister Roger Cook said.
He said the cruise industry injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the state’s economy prior to the pandemic.
“I’m grateful to cruise operators for their resilience throughout COVID-19 and am looking forward to welcoming back large cruise ships to WA in the coming months.
“More than 10,000 passengers coming to WA before Christmas is yet another sign that our tourism strategy is gathering momentum to deliver more jobs and economic activity for WA.”
Western Australia reportedly welcomed 106 cruise ship visits in the 2019-20 financial year, which generated $261.9 million for the state’s economy.
