Princess is planning to base a ship out of Fremantle in 2027 and more to come

• Princess is set to homeport a ship out of Fremantle after talks between the State’s tourism body and cruise lines.
• The official announcement is expected to arrive shortly.
• The news presents a big win after a seven year pause in sailings from the port – and promises more may come.

In a huge boost for Western Australian cruise and tourism, Princess Cruises is planning to homeport a ship out of Fremantle in 2027.

And Cruise Lines International Association Australasia’s MD Joel Katz told Cruise Passenger it could be the start of even more cruise calls for the state if Broome is made a first-point-of-entry for vessels coming to Australia.

“Western Australia is an extraordinary cruise destination and has a huge amount of potential for cruise tourism. It’s vast coastline and unspoilt wilderness regions are incredible, and cruising is a natural choice to explore these areas – including many locations that are inaccessible or difficult to reach by land.

“CLIA and our cruise lines have been working closely with the Western Australian Government to encourage more ship visits and greater cruise tourism in the state.

“Our aim is to achieve the right settings to support growth and encourage more regional deployment in Western Australia, which would attract more international and domestic visitors and bring enormous economic opportunities to communities up and down the coast.

“We are also working with State and Federal agencies to achieve first-point-of-entry status for Broome, which would allow cruise ships to enter and leave Australia via the Kimberley region, creating new opportunities for cruise tourism in Western Australia.”

As cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival centre their operations around Sydney and Brisbane, other regions of Australia have been battling to get more ships to come their way. Cruises out of Western Australia for example can visit many coastal towns that get hefty injections of economic benefit when large ships arrive, such as Esperance, Exmouth, Albany, Geraldton and more.

Tourism Minister Reece Whitby told The West Australian: “This WA Cruise Tourism Strategic Plan is designed to put our State firmly on the map for future cruise itineraries, and the Cook Government has backed it with an additional $1 million investment into cruise tourism over the next four years.

“We’re positioning WA as a unique, world-class cruise destination that offers unforgettable experiences, while supporting the long-term sustainability of the sector.”

Princess Cruises vice-president Asia-Pacific Matthew Rutherford said: “We look forward to continuing to play a significant role in the growth of the cruise market in WA and supporting the beautiful regional towns, so watch this space.”

Currently, Princess sails only occasionally out of Fremantle, home-porting once or twice a year on average. An extended homeport would mean a larger boost in tourism, as people come and stay before and after their cruise, as well as visit small towns on shore excursions.

Fremantle is about to host the Australian Cruise Association Conference for the first time in two decades, and it is expected that the announcement will coincide with the conference, which will happen from September 3 to September 5.

This will also give Fremantle and WA the chance to try and attract more cruise ships and lines, with representatives from Princess, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and more set to be present.

Aussies from all around the country have been complaining of a lack of available cruises that aren’t out of Sydney and Melbourne, with thousands of Aussies having to get on a plane just to be able to cruise. Moves like this one could hopefully work to turn the tide and get cruise ships out to more parts of Australia.

More cruise ships in regional areas is beneficial for everyone, with tourism dollars spreading to more coastal communities, fewer cruisers having to fly to get on a ship and a more diverse range of itineraries available for cruisers to book.