Princess Cruises would like to return to Melbourne if it “can get the economics right”

• Princess Cruises used to regularly homeport ships out of Melbourne.
• Now Melbourne cruises are a rarity, upsetting the lines’ many Melbourne fans.
• Matt Rutherford, vice president Asia Pacific previously said that “we would love to homeport a ship from Melbourne if we can get the economics right’’. 

Princess Cruises‘ Vice President of Asia and the Pacific, Matt Rutherford has said the line would return to Melbourne if it could get the economics right.

The line which once homeported ships like the Majestic Princess and Grand Princess in the Victorian capital, pulled the vessels due to a pivot of the Carnival brands and speculatively because of rising port costs.

The move, which has been discussed on social media and forums, has made it harder for cruisers in the southern states to cruise from their homeports.

For the seasons ahead, Princess has scheduled calls to Melbourne via circumnavigation cruises around Australia and homeported cruises out of Melbourne are few and far between.

Princess’s website shows only one homeported cruise from Melbourne, for October 11, 2027, and it’s already sold out. The only available cruise leaving from Melbourne is part of a 24-day circumnavigation and starts from more than $7000.

Rutherford previously stated that “we would love to homeport a ship from Melbourne if we can get the economics right”.

Meanwhile, Ports Victoria told Cruise Passenger that: “Ports Victoria is partnering with the Victorian Government in developing a strategic plan to ensure Victoria’s cruise shipping industry thrives”.

That was last December. While this message could potentially give hope to local cruisers for a Princess return, until now, little has come of this strategic plan and Victoria Ports were unable to give an update on any progress.

This leaves Melbourne cruisers without much hope for the return of homeported Princess ships, which they’ve been calling for. Promises on new cruising strategies and a statement about ‘economics’ will offer little consolation for Princess fans. 

Why did Princess leave Melbourne?

• Princess Cruises first moved away from Melbourne in 2025, after a 15 per cent hike in port fees which the line didn’t take kindly to. 
• However, Melbourne’s port fees aren’t exorbitantly high, they charge $32.78 per passenger, compared to $46.60 per passenger in Sydney.
• It was understood that it was the suddenness of the change that Carnival Corp and its various brands didn’t take kindly too, rather than the fees necessarily being too high. Cruise lines book years in advance and price their fares off current costs, so they generally appreciate being warned about things like rises in port fees well in advance.
• After this rise, Carnival Cruises, Cunard and Princess Cruises all took their ships out of Melbourne, however, Carnival will return with some sailings this year. 

What could bring Princess back? 

Given that Princess fans have been vocal about wanting a return for years, it appears passenger demand alone won’t be enough to bring Princess back to 

Cruise Passenger has asked Melbourne Ports if they would consider locking in port fees for a set amount of time to allow cruise lines guaranteed costs to plan ahead with and was told, “In line with standard business practice, it will continue to review operational costs and adjust related fees accordingly.”

A collaboration between government and the local industry is needed to ensure cruise lines can have stability in the region and feel confident locking in prices years ahead of time.

However, Australia in recent years hasn’t exactly been known for speedy bureaucracy when it comes to resolving issues related to cruise, leaving Melbourne’s many Princess fans to wonder how long until they’ll be able to sail on their favourite ships again.