The Aussie town of 3000 people that welcomed 50,000 cruise visitors this season

• Eden’s 2025/26 cruise season has wrapped up this week, with a final visit from Norwegian Spirit.
• The small town on the far south coast of NSW has a population of about 3400 people and saw more than 50,000 cruise passengers arrive over the past year.
• Eden’s next cruise season will kick off on November 9, with the arrival of Celebrity Edge.

Eden’s 2025/26 cruise season has come to an end, with the tiny coastal town capping off another remarkable cruise season. The season came to an end with the Norwegian Spirit stopping by, carrying more than 2000 passengers, with about 96 per cent of them hopping off the ship to explore the town.

Over the past 12 months, Eden has seen more than 50,000 cruise visitors, a massive number for a small town with a population of around 3400. This brings huge economic value not just to Eden, but to the surrounding regions, and often leads to cruisers returning for land travel later on.

As Destination NSW puts it: “Cruising supports the entire ecosystem of the NSW visitor economy. Cruise visitors don’t just stop at the port – they stay, they spend, and they often return. That’s particularly valuable for regional destinations, where cruise tourism can drive long-term visitation and local investment.”

While Eden has dealt with the unfortunate situation of Royal Caribbean cutting its visits to the town, the forecast is still looking good for seasons ahead.

Next season will see a range of ships coming through Eden, including Celebrity Solstice, Grand Princess, Royal Princess, Norwegian Spirit, Azamara Pursuit, Noordam and more.

Eden continues to set the blue print for how when a cruising strategy is executed successfully, it can bring tourism to coastal communities and spread the economic benefits of cruising into as many Aussie hands as possible.

Port Authority of NSW General Manager Cruise Martin Bidgood says that Eden, and Newcastle as well, are looking to continue to grow as cruise ports and working is being done to make them as appealing as possible to cruise passengers.

“Port Authority’s long-term strategy to support regional communities capitalise on potential cruise markets is underpinned by our formal Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in Eden and Newcastle.

“These partnerships help regions build cruise-ready destinations by developing unique local experiences that encourage cruise operators to add these destinations to their itineraries. 

“This has been reinforced through the renewal of the Eden MoU and a new Newcastle MOU that has already delivered significant wins for the region including 13 new onshore experiences, an eightfold increase in Welcome Volunteers to guide passengers, and targeted workshops to help local businesses improve cruise readiness.”