Princess sisters’ historic meet as line claims record contribution to the local economy

• Two Princess ships met in Sydney Harbour over the weekend.
• It was the first time a Princess ship was docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal as well as Athol Bay
• The Crown Princess will use 140 tonnes of locally sourced fresh produce.

Sydneysiders could be forgiven for a double-take as they looked over the harbour today – two Princess ships in dock at the same time, and sisters at that.

Almost a royal flush and certainly a historic first, Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess occupied pride of place at the Overseas Passenger Terminal while Diamond Princess anchored off Athol Bay.

Princess Cruises, keen to win back its popular number one position in Australia as it scales back visits to Melbourne next year, pointed out the ships brought more than 9,500 international and domestic visitors and over 2,000 crew to the city, generating over AU$2 million to the local economy in just one day.

Crown Princess will use 140 tonnes of locally sourced fresh produce. This season, Crown Princess will contribute more than $120 million to the national economy during 78 visits to 21 different ports across Australia—a record for any Princess ship.

The line maintained the visit by both ships in Sydney Harbour demonstrated the importance of cruising to Australia’s tourism industry, with a projected 1.2 million passengers and crew visiting NSW ports in the summer season of 2024-2025.

Crown Princess, arrived from a South Pacific New Year’s cruise and sailed later with 3300 guests to New Zealand.

Diamond Princess arrived from Eden, Port Arthur, and an overnight stay in Hobart. She will head back to Brisbane and then to New Zealand.

The captains of both vessels met for coffee aboard Crown Princess – their first personal encounter in almost a decade.

Crown Princess’ Captain Mario Consentino said: “We’re delighted to be in Sydney today with our sister ship, Diamond Princess in this beautiful city. It’s the first time our ships are together in Sydney and it’s also the first time I’ll see my colleague Diamond Princess’ Captain Bartolomei in almost ten years.

“We’ll celebrate this special occasion in style with an espresso looking over the harbour.”

Chief Commercial Officer for Princess Cruises, Terry Thornton said: “Our guests love Sydney and it remains an important homeport for Princess in the region.

Today our guests from Diamond Princess and Crown Princess will enjoy the city’s world-class shore excursions, vibrant retail precincts, and cafes and restaurants.”

And to demonstrate how cruise truly benefits the wider tourism industry, Princess Cruises quoted Sydney Kayak Experience Tour Guide Tierna Maguire.

She said having both ships in Sydney Harbour on the same day enhanced her guests’ overall experience.

“A kayaking encounter with two cruise ships at sunrise on Sydney Harbour is a double bonus for the guests. The size and scale of a cruise ship gently sailing past us on our kayaks is unmatched with our guests telling us it is one of the main highlights of the tour.”

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