Sapphire Princess to home-port at Fremantle

THE PORT of Fremantle is to home-port cruise ship Sapphire Princess in 2027 marking the first time since the 2019-2020 season that a cruise ship has operated from the port.

On the previous occasion it was another Princess, Sun Princess which operated for 141 days offering regional departures from Western Australia.

Sapphire Princess will undertake nine cruise itineraries across WA ports, beginning and ending in Fremantle, with full itineraries revealed in November and generating what the state government says will be an economic impact of more than $140 million over the 2027-28 summer season.

The premium Princess Cruises ship carries up to 3200 guests.

A government media release said it would support more than 1000 jobs and would also bring back large cruise vessels to the mid-west port of Geraldton.

The home-porting news was announced at the Australian Cruise Association (ACA) Conference being held in Fremantle.

The state government continues to focus on growth in the cruise sector, through the Western Australian Cruise Tourism Strategic Plan 2023-2033, spending around $1.8 million in funding over the next four years to build cruise line engagement.

An additional $35.5 million has been committed to improve infrastructure at Fremantle Passenger Terminal.

Tourism minister Reece Whitby said the new home port ship is a significant achievement for WA's cruise and tourism industry and is set to bring tens of thousands of passengers to WA.

"Welcoming back another superliner cruise ship to home port will be a massive boost to WA's tourism sector while highlighting the strength and popularity of our ports as cruise destinations,” Mr Whitby said.

Ports minister Stephen Dawson said the government is undertaking important berth upgrades at Fremantle Port to ensure it remains a vibrant destination for the future. This includes $35.5 million in upgrades at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal.

The terminal, opened in 1960, was purpose-built to accommodate large passenger vessels and has hosted numerous cruise lines over the decades. The two-berth terminal was once the largest of its kind in Australia and remains the second-largest today.

Fremantle was a seasonal base for P&O Cruises ships like Pacific Sun and Pacific Dawn, especially during the southern summer.

While Sapphire Princess will be the first to be formally home-ported year-round, other Princess vessels like Sea Princess and Sun Princess have operated extended deployments from Fremantle.

Ships like Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth have used Fremantle as a turnaround port during world voyages and smaller operators like Coral Expeditions and APT have used Fremantle as a base for Kimberley and Indian Ocean itineraries.