Sapphire Princess to return to Fremantle for 2027/28 sailings

• The Western Australia cruise port schedule shows that the Sapphire Princess will arrive at Fremantle on October 10, 2027.
• The ship will sail a series of round-trips out of Fremantle, between three-nights and two-weeks.
• This will mark a return of the Sapphire Princess to Australia, and a huge boost for WA tourism and cruise.

Sapphire Princess will be the chosen ship for Princess’s return to homeporting out of Fremantle, forward bookings at the port show.

Princess Cruises Vice President, Asia Pacific Matthew Rutherford said this deployment makes Princess the only large premium cruise line both returning and homeporting a ship in Western Australia.

“Princess Cruises has long held a deep affection for Western Australia,” Mr. Rutherford said. “For many years we have welcomed guests from across the globe to experience the extraordinary landscapes and vibrant culture this remarkable region has to offer.”

“Today, we are proud to reaffirm our commitment to Western Australia, showcasing its breathtaking beauty, from Kimberley to the Great Southern, to travellers from around the world.”

Princess has homeported four Princess ships in Western Australia in the last 15 years, starting with the second-generation Sun Princess in Fremantle back in 2008, and the last homeport season being the sell-out 46-night Indian Ocean voyages across the 2019-20 summer season.

Princess will reveal the number of regional Western Australian ports the cruise line plans to visit as part of its season later in the year.

Sapphire Princess’ planned deployment in Western Australia will generate over $140 million into the Western Australian local economy, supporting tourism and jobs in these key locations for small businesses, tourist operators, and for the wider community.

Princess’ return to Western Australia for the 2027-28 summer season has been made possible with the support of the Western Australian Government and Tourism WA.

Western Australian Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said Fremantle welcoming back another superliner cruise ship to home port is a significant achievement for WA and highlights the strength and popularity of our ports as cruise destinations.

“Having the Sapphire Princess in Fremantle not only benefits WA’s economy, but it will also bring large cruise ships back to regional ports stimulating the tourism sector with a series of calls scheduled over the summer school holidays,’ Mr Witby said.

“We’re thrilled to announce this great news on day two of the 27^th Australian Cruise Association Conference, as it shows the value of hosting these business events and demonstrates the WA Government’s commitment to supporting and growing WA’s important cruise sector.”

Mr Rutherford said Sapphire Princess voyages will be revealed as part of Princess Cruises’ 2027-28 Australian Summer Program, set to be formally announced and go on sale around mid-November.

The news that Princess would once again be sending a ship to Fremantle has already excitement through Australia’s cruise community, with many Western Australians excited to have a ship at their doorstep once again, and other cruisers excited to have some new itineraries to enjoy.

Sapphire Princess is first scheduled to arrive to Fremantle on October 10, 2027, and then has an almost two month break scheduled until its next appearance, on December 11, 2027.

From there the ship is set to sail nine turnaround cruises as part of its homeporting season out of Fremantle. This itineraries range in length from three-nights, right up to two weeks.

Port schedules can change and are not official cruise line announcements, but given the timing of Sapphire Princess appearing on the cruise schedule, days after the reveal that Princess would be returning to WA, it appears a safe bet that Sapphire will take the reigns as Princess’s homeporting ship for Western Australia.

This also raises many interesting questions about the Princess scheduling for 2027/28, as to whether the line will return to having three ships homeported out of Australia, rather than the two ships it has scheduled for the two upcoming seasons.

However, for now, this move remains huge win for the Western Australian cruise industry, as well as regional cruising in Australia in general.

Sapphire Princess is a slightly older Princess ship, entering service in 2004, and hosting up to 2670 passengers at a time.

Before making it to Australia she’ll sail all around the world, running itineraries across Europe, South America and Japan. She has sailed out of Australia, and out of Perth before, meaning she’ll around be known to plenty of cruisers.