Princess launches winter sailings and injects $71 million into Queensland economy

by Tallis Boerne Marcus

Coral Princess

Coral Princess will relaunch the Princess brand in the Australian market after a two-year absence with an inaugural season in Queensland which is worth an estimated $71 million dollars to the state’s economy.

The  2000-guest ship will be homeported in Brisbane for 11 new departures ranging from 3-12 nights between June and August before returning for another 10 cruises this summer from November.

Like the rest of the Princess fleet, the 20-year-old Coral Princess has been refitted to be a MedallionClass vessel, allowing for the latest technology.

She’ll make 48 calls to the State’s ports this year, including her first visits to Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays, Cairns and Port Douglas.

Sister ships, Grand Princess and Majestic Princess, will make a further six calls to Queensland ports as part of their scheduled Australian season sailing from Sydney and Melbourne.

Princess Cruises Senior Director Sales, Marketing and Service Nick Ferguson said the new Queensland season would see Princess Cruises inject an estimated $71 million into the state economy in crew and passenger spending, ship supplies and port charges.

He said the cruise line’s focus on Brisbane reflected the demand for cruise holidays among Queenslanders, as well as the growing interest in domestic cruising.

“After two years of rolling pauses, we are delighted to be featuring Queensland in an exciting winter program of cruises from Australia, which demonstrates our commitment to cruising Down Under and the local travel agent community.”

Mr Ferguson said he expected Coral Princess to be a popular choice among Australian travellers. The 91,627-tonne ship offers a mix of premium staterooms including more than 500 private balcony staterooms and more than 200 suites and mini-suites.

“Coral Princess is a great mid-sized ship, which carries 2000 guests yet offers a wide range of public spaces and amenities normally only found on much larger ships, so she provides a very affordable way to see Australia and the world in comfort and style.

“And with Princess’ MedallionClass our guests can easily stay connected with their friends and family while at sea and experience a more personalised and effortless cruise holiday.”

The reshuffle of ships comes alongside changes in the global fleet. To accomodate the changes, Princess announced in America last night some Royal Princess sailings in Australia and the Pacific from September to March have been removed.

The canceled voyages include itineraries through April 2023 to Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific aboard Diamond and Royal Princess.

They also include some voyages on Majestic Princess in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific from February 2023 to May of 2023. She is listed to sail out of Sydney from October.

Highlights of the new winter program include:

Six short getaway cruises from Brisbane and Sydney
Five 7-day Queensland roundtrip cruises from Brisbane, sailing to Cairns, Port Douglas, and Airlie Beach (for the Whitsundays).
A new 7-day New South Wales Coast roundtrip from Brisbane, with a maiden call to Eden (Sapphire Coast), Sydney, and Newcastle.
A new 12-day Queensland and New South Wales voyage, sailing roundtrip from Brisbane.
A new 12-day Queensland and the Conflict Islands voyage, roundtrip Sydney or Brisbane, crossing the Coral Sea to visit the stunning and remote Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea.

Mr Ferguson said Coral Princess would reposition to Sydney and resume her previously announced Australia and New Zealand program for the 2022-23 summer season which currently includes voyages to the Pacific, Round Australia, Queensland and New Zealand.

As part of the summer fleet, Majestic Princess is planned to return to Sydney on October 20, with voyages that currently include New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania and Fiji, while Grand Princess will make her debut downunder sailing out of Melbourne on November 4 with round trip voyages that currently include New Zealand, Queensland and South Australia.

Mr Ferguson added that Majestic Princess will also offer a new 11-day Queensland voyage, sailing roundtrip from Sydney in February 2023.

For more: princess.com

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7 thoughts on “Princess launches winter sailings and injects $71 million into Queensland economy”

  2. Far too few sailings from Melbourne. Sydney is far too conjested and Bris is too far.
    For all us Victorian cruisers please schedule more 7 to 14 day cruises from Melb. Preferably to NZ, PNG and round Aust cruises.

  3. So disappointed was booked to leave Sydney in April next year after the cruise in 2020 due to Covid was canceled and we were offered this alternative cruise. The cruise was from Sydney to Vancouver in April 2023 taking 31 days. Ready for summer. Lost quite a bit of money on accommodation that we had booked and paid for in 2020. Advised last week that the April 2023 cruise is now canceled and only alternative cruise leaves Sydney in October 2023 which would arrive in Vancouver for the start of winter

  4. I am an elite member of Princess and I wish Princess Cruises leave Sydney to Sydney I been so many time to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands I’m going in 14 of May from Athens to Rome 14 days 2022 and also in 2023 I’m going from the 5th of March for 32 days from Argentina Dubai salon I don’t understand why the Cruisers don’t do a round trip overseas from Sydney thank you Lola

  5. Bring it on, we’ve been waiting until our cruising life can resume on the Princess line.

  6. I just wish that one of the cruise lines, preferably Princess, would have a round Australia cruise from Melbourne! They did it with the Sun and Dawn so maybe they can let the Coral spend some time from Melbourne?

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