Australia is to get a second major new Princess Cruises ship with the announcement that the Regal Princess – sister to Majestic – will sail from Sydney in 2020/21.
Her first journey to Australia – Rome to Sydney – will go on sale next week.
The new deployment was announced by Senior Vice President Asia Pacific Australasia Stuart Allison at the World Leading Cruise Lines summit on board Majestic Princess at sea off New Zealand.
Mr Allison said the move followed the extraordinary success of Majestic Princess in her first season. Some 50% of guests are rebooking a Princess cruise while on board – a world record for repeat passengers.
The arrival of the Regal Princess and other new ships in the next five years will push capacity up 49 per cent for Princess, and follows what Mr Allison described as the most successful two years in Princess history.
Regal Princess carries 3,560 guests and 1,346 crew. She was built in 2014.
Regal Princess will offer a variety of features guests will be familiar with on sister ship, Majestic Princess, including 13 dining venues, a soaring atrium, a dramatic over-the-ocean glass walkway, the SeaWalk, extending more than eight metres beyond the edge of the ship, plush private poolside cabanas, and 1780 staterooms, with balconies on all outside staterooms.
Mr Allison revealed that Regal Princess will sail from Rome to Sydney on a voyage crossing four continents, with the itinerary on sale from November 20, 2018. A more detailed deployment for Regal Princess from Sydney will be announced in late March 2019.
With five of its 18-strong fleet cruising down under in 2019, Princess Cruises ranks Australia as its biggest market outside the United States.
The Princess fleet will get a major new addition when Ruby Princess arrives in Sydney in late October, 2019, for Australia’s summer season. Ruby Princess will offer many sailings to New Zealand, also to Pacific islands, the Great Barrier Reef, and Tasmania.
The enormous investment in new ships is a tribute to the strength of the Australian market, where Princess’s big increase in capacity amounts to an extra 24,700 passengers.
New local connections plans – similar to the Across the Ditch immersive programs in New Zealand, will also be rolled out across Australia, starting in Melbourne.
Regal Princess will also introduce the Ocean Medallion, the line’s special intelligent tracking device for passengers which means improved service and communications, to the region.
New food and other shoreside experiences are also being announced.
A special Princess experience will be offered by former wildlife expert Steve Irwin’s family in Queensland and Curtis Stone is preparing new dishes and filming an Australian wine show showcasing bottles he will be serving on the line’s Share by Curtis Stone restaurants.
Earlier, Group President Jan Swartz revealed the huge investments Carnival Corp lines are making across Australia, including helping build the new Brisbane terminal and returning to Fremantle.
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To all the South Australians commenting, we’re pleased to be able to tell you that there will be three sailings from Adelaide this season:
– Golden Princess 3-day cruise from Melbourne to Adelaide departing January 4 2019 with 1 port call to Port Lincoln.
– Golden Princess 18-day round trip cruise from Adelaide departing January 7 2019 with 8 port calls including Kangaroo Island, Melbourne, Fiordland, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Gisborne, Tauranga.
– Golden Princess 4-day Cruise from Adelaide to Melbourne departing January 25 2019 with 2 port calls including Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln.
My late wife and I loved the Pacific P. until we cruised on Dawn P. and loved that Ship so much that we did 3 further trips including Los Angeles to Sydney – brilliant. Tried a mega liner, but never again, I think 70,000 ton. Ships are ideal for Princess guests, who are mostly 40s plus age group.
More Adelaide – Adelaide cruises please
I would really like more cruises from New York to either Sydney or Melbourne!
Also agree with more cruises in and out of Adelaide. The 55 day cruise through to South Africa sold out in days!!! We’ve been asking for years for more here.
We need cruises from Fremantle, the west Australian market is ignored by most of the cruise lines. We have a nearly 5 hour flight to reach Sydney to cruise I am positive with the mining expanding again in WA there is a huge untapped market
I like the size of the Sea and Sun. Did you know that the same cabin class on the Majestic is up to 25% smaller than the same cabin on the Sea and Sun? The Diamond and the Golden class is about 10% smaller than the Sea and Sun. If you wish the Sea and Sun to disappear then be happy with smaller cabins sizes for the same or more money.
Careful what you wish for.
Wow so many whinging Aussies , mate for a start Adalaide is to far and to expensive for most people to get to .
We just did the Majestic Princess and it left from Sydney we live in Auckland and have to fly across the ditch and back as only a few cruises do a return to Auckland and they are normally 35 or the 104 nights.we couldn’t believe how many whinging people were on board such a beautiful ship .We did a 35 night to Hawaii on the Sea princess and while the layout was good it needs auto opening doors from the buffet to go outside and it is quite dated same as the sun
Excellent news from Princess. Now for Royal Caribbean to send us an Oasis class ship! Quite a sight Oasis/Allure/Harmony/Symphony would be sailing in/out past the Opera House with the bridge in the background!
Need cruise ships to leave from all ports more.
Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane .
The cruise lines don’t realise how much money they are losing as many people are put off going in cruises because of having to fly interstate.
have just been on the beautiful majestic princess. excellent.
BUT. we enjoy the sea and sun ( dawn ) much more.
to big, especially using tenders etc.
I agree with Kathleen Van Spaandonck – The poor old Sun Princess is so tired and run down. Give me the Golden Princess first any time. I must admit I think twice if a cruise is on the Sun Princess.
Don’t write sea princess off kathleen she is absolutely wonderful have not long returned from a 10 day FNQ cruise on her she doesn’t need an indoor pool everything about her was just wonderful a lot better than golden imo ,ive been on golden and loved her but sea princess bought cruising to a whole new experience, the food was sensational and the horizon etc etc the same ,it was like being welcomed to a warm family ,the crew are great too
I agree with Jane, more departures and returns to Brisbane Princess. I love Sea Princess
I agree with Jane, more departures and returns to Brisbane Princess.
I live in Brisbane and like sailing out of Brisbane
I would like some of the newest ship to visit Brisbane and sailing
Nancy Grice
When are Princess going to look after the South Australian Market? What about more cruises starting and finishing in Adelaide? We are disadvantaged by having to fly to other states to see different destinations..
What can’t Princess have an around Australia trip starting and finishing in Adelaide?
Why can’t we have trips to and from Adelaide to the south sea islands?
There has to be a market in Adelaide to fill these cruises if only Princess would supply them. I still think Princess are the best cruise line, but sadly they don’t think of the SA public when supplying cruises.
Come on Princess, raise your game. I say this because I have to supply a wheelchair for enjoy my cruises and getting this on planes is horrendous and then to and from airports. So my love of cruising is limited because of this shortage of options. Platinum Captains Table member. At this rate I will not get to the next level.
We are a large City now almost more people than Sydney so, why dont more cruises leave from BEAUTIFUL – MELBOURNE?????????????
Hi, I agree with you about the Sun and Sea Princess Kathleen! We’d love to do New York to Sydney, but are waiting for a better ship option.
Why not Melbourne? Our pier is heritage listed and can’t be enlarged, we have a hard time handling 2900 passengers here.
We need a big, new pier, but where???
I agree with those people sick of flying to Sydney. Need them in Adelaide also. Even those from Melbourne are few and far between.
Why has Princess sold the nicer ship Golden and keep the horrible Sea Princess.
What I like most on a cruise ship is the inside pool.
We are thinking of canceling our cruise because it’s on the Sea Princess, when are they going to get rid of the Sea & Sun .
I don’t think that I am Robinson Crusoe here … but when exactly are Princess returning to Fremantle … and more importantly for how many cruises. I think I managed to find 2 in 2020 where you leave from Fremantle and sail back into Fremantle. I may be wrong … but?? I know that I get really annoyed with having to fly interstate to get on a Princess cruise (or any other cruise line if it comes to that) whether it is in one direction or return. And what Princess ship is going to be home ported here, for how long and when?
Why does sydneyget all the extra ships why doesn’t Brisbane get the occasional one.